Ingredients

serves 4

　　4 large egg yolks

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine

　　Black Pepper Cookies, for serving (recipe follows)

　　

Black Pepper Cookies

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

　　1/3 cup sugar

　　1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　Pinch of salt

　　2 large egg whites, room temperature

　　1/3 cup all-purpose flour

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

　　(makes about 2 1/2 dozen)

　　

Step 1

Whisk the yolks and sugar in a medium glass bowl until creamy, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Add the Marsala; whisk until the mixture almost doubles in volume, about 15 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Serve with black pepper cookies.

　　

Black Pepper Cookies

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Beat in the egg whites until incorporated. Combine the flour and pepper in a small bowl; add to the butter mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined.

　　

Step 4

Put the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #804). Pipe 3-inch strips, about 1/2 inch apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping the tip close to the sheet for thin cookies. Bake until the edges are golden and the centers are set, about 7 minutes. Let cool on the sheet 5 minutes before transferring with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

　　Cooks' Note

　　The eggs in this dish are not fully cooked; it should not be prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.