Cookie #30 - Georga Coca-Cola Spice Cookies

On May 8, 1886, Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia sold the first Coca Cola.  I initially had planned a peach cookie for Georgia, but thought Coca Cola would be different and give me the opportunity to experiment with an ingredient I've never used in a cookie.  I chose a spice cookie to carry the Coca Cola and I was honestly pleased with the results.
The cookie itself does not taste like Coca Cola.  The syrup really just added a spicy sweetness to this crisp cookie.  The addition of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper make this cookie warm on the palate and the coating of turbinado sugar adds a crunchy texture to an already crisp cookie. 
I used my usual spice cookie recipe and just replaced the molasses with coke syrup that I made by reducing a can of Coke in a saucepan.  This spice cookie is one of my favorites to make and one of the first recipes I ever wrote myself.  It doesn't require the use of an electric mixer as it uses vegetable oil instead of butter.  I haven't tried it with applesauce as a replacement for the oil (as I do in my carrot cake), but I think I might have to give it a shot. 

Coca Cola Spice Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup Coca Cola Syrup*

1 egg

2 cups AP flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginge

1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1 pinch fresh ground black pepper (roughly one quick grind of a pepper mill)

1/2 cup turbinado sugar for coating (I use Sugar in the Raw)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix brown sugar, oil, Coca Cola syrup and egg together in a large bowl until well combined.

In a medium bowl, sift togehter flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Add to sugar/oil mixture and stir until well combined.

Roll dough into 1" balls (it will be very soft) and roll in turbinado sugar.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2" apart (these cookies spread). 

Bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies spread and just start to brown on the edges.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

**To make Coca Cola syrup, heat one can of Coke until boiling, allow to simmer and reduce to about 1/4 cup.  It took about 25 minutes.