Sriracha Cookies aka The Hot Robin

Sometimes you get an idea that's just crazy enough to work. Fortunately, I had plenty of crazy to turn into culinary thoughts thanks to spending far too much time surrounded by only animals during the current job hunt. I had previously made the already insane Robin cookies (they're curry, cardamom, and cinnamon based, how does that even work as a dessert?) once back in Houston, but their inspiration was not able to enjoy them. As a result, it only seemed right to finally make some for her in her night shift care package (see Chicken Fideo Soup). But I would not be satisfied with simply repeating myself. No, I would make them even more ridiculous than ever by adding the next most ludicrous cookie component I could think of, the spice of the gods known as Sriracha, to complete my Frankensteinian quest and breathe life into THE HOT ROBIN!

The Hot Robin
Modified from The Spice House and My Original Robin Cookie the Triple C
Servings: 36-48 cookies
Time: 30 minutes (+ 4 hours resting)

The batter should provide a nice tingle when tried

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2-1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2-1 tsp cinnamon
Sriracha to taste
1 cup salted, roasted pecans, chopped

1. Get really bored during your search for a job while waiting for your significant other to return home and allow your Netflix binging to continue.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl then add in multiple increments until smooth. 
5. Stir in the pecans.
6. Get brave and decide to put sriracha in a batch because surely this can't be the craziest thing you've ever done. This makes 4 batches of cookies, so I'd suggest reserving at least half to give you the full experience of sriracha vs. sriracha-free. You want to add enough to give a light red tint to the dough. Fortunately, cookie dough is fun to eat and delicious, so do a taste test before proceeding.
7. Wrap each batch in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
9. Slice the dough into the desired size cookies (around 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden.
11. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes then transfer to wire racks to finish.
12. Enjoy comparing both equally delicious versions of The Robin.

You can practically see the spice waiting to be devoured

Sure there may have been 3 batches of standard Robin cookies to ensure our sweet-tooths would not be disappointed, but I was, nevertheless, still worried about the outcome. I needed this win, and I got it. The Hot Robin was a tremendous success! Just like it would have in an actual meal, the sriracha worked beautiful magic with the curry and cardamom to enhance the already unique experience. Reminiscent of my Fiery Red Hot Red Velvet Cupcakes, the cookies featured a fantastic tingly hit of spice on the backend without being overwhelmed by it yielding a cookie worthy of its namesake. For best results, pair with tea and a good book.

Or if you're not quite adventurous enough, you could try the standard, less colorful but equally delightful Robin cookie.