Store-bought cookie dough is perfect when you have some little cookie monsters in your household and need to bake a dozen or so in a pinch. But if you want to make a more grown-up cookie using this convenience item, add a little heat to your sweet. A dash of cayenne pepper is a great hack to make store-bought cookie dough taste homemade while giving this treat a warm, fiery jolt to balance and enhance the sugary taste.
But before you try this hack on Giada De Laurentiis’ breakfast cookie, a tub of Nestle Toll House, or a tube or package of Pillsbury cookie dough, remember that your end goal is not to create a fire drill for your taste buds. The kick that cayenne pepper can provide should be subtle, so ⅛ teaspoon is a good entry point for the addition of spice. Blend it into the dough so it is evenly distributed, or mix it with some sugar and roll the individual cookie balls in this combo before baking.
If you feel like that’s not enough after you do a test taste with your first dozen, you can always add a little more — up to a teaspoon — to the next batch. Just make certain you have a glass of milk poured and ready.
You can boost these types of cookies with cayenne pepper
Choosing the right store-bought cookie dough to boost with cayenne pepper is really a matter of preference, but chocolate and heat are always a good combination, so you might try chocolate chip or a double chocolate ready-to-bake cookie dough. The cayenne pepper will bring out notes in the chocolate that you might not taste otherwise, polished off with a little kick. This combo is a masterpiece in the making.
Cayenne pepper also pairs well with a classic snickerdoodle. This cookie already has warm vibes from the cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne makes that taste a little bolder without overpowering it, thanks to the layer of sugar it’s rolled in. But while a little cayenne works for some cookie flavors, it may not work for all. A sugar cookie or lemon shortbread cookie might not be the best canvas for this spice unless you want to add it to a blend with some milder notes like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon sugar. However, you won’t know until you try, so be daring and experiment.
