The Simple Ingredient That Makes Gingerbread Taste Like a $13 Bakery Treat

I’ll happily eat gingersnaps any time of year. But when I look out the window of my Montana cabin at a fresh blanket of snow, gingerbread becomes irresistible. The view of bare trees wearing sparkling caps of snow mimics the contrast between a slice of gingerbread under a dollop of whipped cream or a crisp, dark cutout cookie drizzled with lemony icing.

In the 1930s and 1940s cookbooks I inherited from my grandmother, the simplest ginger cake and cookie recipes stuck to ground ginger. Its bright bite offsets the slight bitterness of molasses, but I like more robust winter sweets.

I started sneaking in other warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, natural choices for baked doughs and batters. Then one day I added a bit of unexpected spice to the bowl, and now I never make gingerbread or gingersnaps without it. For the spiciest cookies and cake, I add a smidgen of freshly ground black pepper.

Why Black Pepper Works in Sweets

I reach for my pepper grinder for most savory dishes, because it makes all of the other flavors pop. Surprisingly, it has the same effect with desserts. To test its power, slice some plums or strawberries, and then give them a twist of pepper. On my tongue, the fruit tastes sweeter and fresher.

In spiced baked goods, black pepper adds an almost citrusy, floral note to earthy ginger and cinnamon. I taste hints of it when I bite into a cookie, but I also smell it when mixing and baking the dough. You might not be able to name the spice if you don’t know it’s there, but the aroma will seem richer and deeper when you walk into the kitchen.

There’s one caveat: Only freshly ground peppercorns give the full effect. The waiter who grinds pepper onto your pasta or salad right at your table isn’t doing it just for show. The spectrum of flavors in peppercorns starts to fade within minutes of grinding, and within days, all you really taste is the peppery heat. When you bake with freshly ground pepper, the oven’s temperature actually mellows the spice’s sharp bite and releases its more subtle flavors.

This is exactly the effect I’m looking for in gingerbread. The ginger should still dominate, with the other spices in supporting roles. It only takes a little black pepper to give the ginger a boost. Add a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, two or three twists of the grinder, to gingerbread pancake batter. Bump that up to 1/4 teaspoon for a batch of Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies or a loaf of Pumpkin Gingerbread.

To know exactly how much pepper you’re grinding, use this trick: Fold a piece of parchment in half, and then open it up and grind the pepper into the crease. When you think you have the right amount, tip the pepper into a measuring spoon to check. If the recipe also calls for nutmeg, use the same trick to capture fresh gratings for another just-released hit of flavor.