During our visit to Sea Salt in Minneapolis, I noticed a dude sitting in the middle of the restaurant with a pile of individually wrapped cookies. Wondering about these treats I walked up and asked him if they were “special” cookies. His response had me intrigued…
While they weren’t “special” in what many of you may have been thinking, they were definitely special and far more interesting to me in quite a different way. Instead of being loaded with one type of intoxicant, they were instead filled with another–cayenne and habanero to name two. As many of you know just the mere mention of anything spicy gets me excited and these were no exception although I had to admit that I was a bit leery of the whole thing. Cookies for sale by some dude with a longer beard than mine? Hmm.
After chatting at length with owner/creator Pete Thomas, the brains behind Pirate Pete’s Treasure Trove Cookies, I learned that this was a true passion for the man who has big dreams for his little cookies. While currently only at one type he listed of numerous other pirate themed cookie names which I couldn’t possibly recall here that he eventually hopes to distribute world-wide.
I went back to my seat with sample cookie in hand and took a look at the simple pile in front of me. They certainly aren’t much to look at that’s for sure but looks aren’t important, especially when it comes to items which are meant to be spicy… I broke the cookie up into a few pieces and handed them over to Josh and my sister-in-law. We each took a bite. At first I was really disappointed but not because of how it tasted but because it was sweet and not spicy at all. But just as doubt spread across my mind, I started to feel a small tingle and then the familiar burn of peppers on my tongue except not where I would normally have expected. This burn was solely on the sides of my tongue and continued for a good bit afterward. Interesting for sure.
My sister-in-law was interested but not so much to try another piece being that she isn’t one for anything spicy. This left more for Josh and I to explore and explore we did. With every single piece a new and different experience was unleashed. Nuts, chocolate, sugar, etc were all dancing around in my mouth. Not being a big cookie fan I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. I suppose if Chips Ahoy came out with a habanero cookie I’d be singing its praises too–especially if it was as good as this one turned out to be.
Overall I loved Pirate Pete’s cookie and I’d definitely recommend one to any of you chiliheads out there. Even if you’re not into chilies (they’re not quite that hot) but you like to try new things, this would definitely be for you. While tasty and spicy, both things I enjoy, they are not cheap and will run you about $1 a cookie.
For now you can find Pirate Pete hawking his wares at Sea Salt in Minneapolis but look for him elsewhere. If he plays his cards right and gets in with the right people you may just start to see him touring right next to those who peddle their hot sauces at the local farmers’ markets and co-ops. Hopefully he’ll do so at one close to me so I can experience that great tongue tingling cookie again soon.
Have you had a chance to try out Pirate Pete’s Treasure Trove Cookies? If so what did you think? Did you like the multi-layered effect that the cookies had? Do you think it’s crazy that someone would want to market and sell a spicy cookie? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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April 13th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Well, at first glance it looks a bit like a cow pie, but glad you’re supporting a local business and glad you enjoyed your spicy cookie!
P.S. if Chips Ahoy made a version you would piss and whine about how Nabisco is taking over the world including your love of all things spicy.
April 13th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
I dunno, a spicy cookie sounds like something that would just make me angry. Kinda like Carrot cake, or someone making a jello dessert and putting peas in it or using mayonnaise.
April 13th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Cress Spring Bakery, one of the long-time Dane county farmers’ market vendors, makes a chocolate fire cookie. It’s a deep, dark chocolate cookie studded with chocolate chips and laced with cayenne, cinnamon, and orange zest, and it’s absolutely delicious. Come on, Bill, don’t let the “Minnesotans prefer bland food” stereotype gain any ground. ;-)
April 16th, 2010 at 4:02 am
Avast There !!!
Hi Folks…A Thousand Thanks, Bill….yer a good salt, and ye’ll have many
of my invigoratin’ cookies…FEAR NOT!!!
Mrs. Marcos, easy with the “cowpie” assessment…around here we note the “nugget”-like shape, which especially a landlubber ought to be inclined
to recognize as very UN-bovine…this shape allows a crunchy outside, with a tender and moister middle…bigger gets too muffin-ey, flatter tends to lose the moist middle…there may be a wider flatter version, as well as tiny bite-size ones, with time. I love my cookies, but don’t worry, we can take a fair bit of ribbing before talk of keelhauling gets floated about…
The cookie in the portrait is a Krakatoa,
the extra-hot version of Pirate Pete’s Treasure Trove Cookie …which in this edition has a coating of spices and sugars, obscuring the lovely diversity of hue and shine from the 3 kinds of chocolate chips, a few kinds of grain flours, 4 kinds of tree nuts, and pumpkin seeds, as well as coconut and approximately one-and-three-quarters gazillion spices.
This Voyage is one of finding new ways to put together fresh and traditional flavors, Bold and Bonnie gifts from the plants of many of the Islands and Lands the World, traded in ways that keep a Happy Heart in the tenders of the gardens, fields, and Trees, as well as in our customers, and the accounting department…Aye, a challenging and exciting trick indeed!
Watch for changes to the website, Pirate history, Moments In Freedom,
(Pirates were closely tied with abductions of people into slavery, as well as in freeing folks from slavery. We’ll cover the good, the bad, and The Beautiful…
as well as special features such as Jewish Pirates… Ahoy Veh!*)
The Pirate Pete Fleet will include many delicious, exciting, amusing, and emboldening treats, including Biscotti, mini-turtles, macaroons, and of course the classic cookie.
My ingredients are almost all organically grown; as a company we will keep that and sustainability a priority while also supporting transitional/org. and natural farming. Local ? Aye….absolutely….in part! Teff from North Dakotah, Duck and Chicken Eggs from MN and Wisconsin…Butter from neighborhood cows. But bringing people together in trade and Fun who hadn’t previously met….from all the World…is partly what this is all about…
it’s about burning off the dreary, the boring, and blasting out of the blockade of what has already been done… making amazing and awesome cookies, cookies which will for many be a memorable and blissful moment of discovery and enjoyment… “A Taste Adventure In Every Bite !”(tm)
And Folks, remember….
as a friend of mine is fond of saying:
“To err is human, to “Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr !” is Pirate!
Steady On, Me Hearties!!!
Peter
Captain,
Pirate Pete’s Treasure Trove Cookies
*links will abound to academic and playful Arrrrrrticles…”Ahoy Veh!” is a phrase someone else “coined” as a heading for one of them….I Googled “Jewish Pirates” and found a rich history, (with a couple of slender roots even going back 2,000 years)…The most publicized of these being the famous Jean LaFitte, sometimes called “The Hero of New Orleans”.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
I got called out by a cookie making pirate! That has awesome written all. over. it.
Captain,
Do you make anything that isn’t spicy? This is the midwest, you know. Also, do you have a parrot and are you friends with my husband’s favorite pirate, Captain Morgan?
April 16th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Mrs. Marcos,
For the time being, whipping up a stellar gluten-free/vegan PPTTC is the next sorty to wade into, then soon, yes indeed, a sweet and mild cookie…details shall be announced.
As for Captain Morgan, we have crossed Sealanes, and shared a glass or two… as for Rum, Meyers’ Dark is a better friend to my palate, Sailor Jerry’s has never disappointed, Blackheart has quite the label…picture if you will a Brown and Bigelow Calendar, crossed up with Boris Vallejo art, and throw in a hint of Nipponese Anime’ and a pinch of Arthur Rackham…strong Rum, tha’, thin and hot… saucy Pirate Wench label…and I am tracking a Cruzan, or St. Croix’an,
Black Rum…whose family I have connection to…in hopes to develop a
tasty trade partnership to the farms, distillery, and the waterfront/pier folk of that place. Aye, these webcams are a cats-eye onto many places and it is my dear hope that they can be a spyglass going many directions with which folks can get a glimpse into each other’s different and varied parts of the World…and get more of a feel for how these treats are made, and get to them…or from the standpoint of the farmers and spicegatherers, where their merchandise goes…and who is enjoying it.
This current batch is smoky and buttery, with extra Chipotle, as well as Blood Orange zest and juice…
a bit of seasonal whimsey, which makes for a very grown-up tasting cookie!
When you are ready…
Peter
Captain
Pirate Pete’s Treasure Trove Cookies
April 16th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
It is good to be upfront about such matters.
Sadly, I am far from grown-up, well, I mean I’m old, just that I have an immature palate, I’ve been known to enjoy dinosaur chicken nuggets, so there you have it. I am afraid I won’t enjoy any of the trove of cookies until you whip up a batch with nothing spicier than ketchup or salt.
As for rum, I prefer my booze wimpy as well, like a box of fine wine bought on sale! Good times!