Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! I thought we’d celebrate around here by baking up a batch of these gooey, fudgy Mexican hot chocolate cookies. I’m not always keen on the whole sweet and spicy thing, but I thought today called for something special.
A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a recipe for über chocolate cookies. They sounded absolutely divine. So I hopped in the kitchen, played around with the recipe a bit and whipped up a batch of these beauties. Now I know some of you who are reading this are probably thinking that I’ve lost my mind. But you’d be surprised what adding cinnamon to a chocolate recipe will do. And chili pepper, well that is a little crazy but it works. These Mexican hot chocolate cookies are like biting into a brownie, only with a spicy kick. I’ve adjusted the recipe to fit our tastes, which is more cinnamon and less pepper, but it’s still enough to tickle your tongue a bit.
To start off you’re going to want to set up a double boiler. I like to use a small saucepan and a medium size glass bowl. Melt the unsweetened chocolate, 1 c. of the bittersweet chocolate and the butter together until they get nice and melty. Allow to cool while you work on the rest of the ingredients. For this recipe the sugar is whipped with the eggs and vanilla. It helps add volume and tenderness to these cookies. Much like you’d do if you were making a flourless chocolate cake. Once the mixture is pale and ribbon-like, you’ll add the cooled chocolate that you melted. Next whisk together all of the dry ingredients and gradually incorporate into the chocolate mixture. If you don’t want to add the pepper (or cinnamon), make sure to omit those ingredients in the previously mentioned step. Now that the base of the cookie has been mixed together, fold in the chocolate chunks and allow the batter to sit. Resting allows it to firm up and become brownie-like. It’s a necessary step, so don’t skip it! Scoop the batter onto the prepared sheets, place into the oven.
The cookies are done when the tops get shiny and cracked, about 10-12 minutes or so. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Dive in while the cookies are still warm and gooey. You won’t regret it. I hope you’ll get a little adventurous and spice up your day with these super chocolatey cookies!
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
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Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
12 mins
Total time
32 mins
Deep, dark and fudgy, these Mexican hot chocolate cookies are incredibly intense! Hints of cinnamon and chili pepper take these cookie to a whole new level!
Author: Natalie
Serves: 20
Ingredients
6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
⅔ c. sugar
⅓ c. unsweetened baker’s chocolate, chopped
1 c. bittersweet chocolate* (60-70% cacao), wafers or chopped chocolate
5 tbsp. butter
2 eggs, room temperature
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ancho or chipotle chili powder
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Directions
Preheat to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats, set aside.
Set a medium size bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Add the unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chocolate* and butter. Stir until the the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer whip together the sugar, eggs and vanilla on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, and add in the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
Om a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks.
Let the batter stand at room temperature for 10 minutes until it firms up. It will resemble brownie batter.
Using a standard size scoop, place balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops become shiny and cracked. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
-These cookies can be made without the cinnamon and chili pepper. Try adding your favorite nuts, candies or fruit for a twist on these fudgy chocolate cookies!
Recipe Source: Adapted from Bojon Gourmet, Über Chocolate Cookies
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