These cookies are...not the prettiest. But they're a triumvirate of other important variables: Easy, Fast (no chilling time required!), and infinitely adaptable. Oh - also, they're delicious.
You may not know this, but when you add cinnamon and chili powder to chocolate, it doesn't actually make it "Mexican." I have no idea how that ended up being a thing, but it's a super tasty thing, so why mess with it? Real Mexican hot chocolate means you're using actual Mexican chocolate (aka chocolate FROM Mexico, or at least made in the same style), which is much more coarsely ground than what we 'merican folks are used to, and has a gritty mouth feel.
Anyways, make these now. Thank me later.
Happy Baking!
MAKES ~22 cookies
INGREDIENTS/SUPPLIES
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1.5 cups sugar (300g)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups unsweetened cocoa (170g)
2 teaspoons cinnamon*
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon chile powder*
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
Stand mixer
Baking sheets & parchment
Medium sized (1.5-2TB) cookie scoop
*If you want to nix the Mexican spices and go with a different chocolate combo (choc/mint, choc/rasp, choc/orange, choc/kahlua, etc.), cut the cinnamon and chili powder from the recipe, add 1/2 teaspoon of your chosen extract instead, and roll the dough balls in plain powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375F.
Beat 2 sticks butter and 300g sugar (1.5c) in stand mixer on medium high until fully combined and a little fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add 2 eggs and 1TB vanilla and beat on medium high (start on low so you don’t splash) until fully combined, 1-2 minutes.
Add 2.5tsp baking powder and 1/4tsp salt and mix medium high for 30 seconds.
Add 170g cocoa (2c), 2tsp cinnamon, and 1/2tsp chile powder (3/4tsp if you like them a little spicier), and start mixing on low, increasing to medium until fully combined, with no traces of cocoa left. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixer, and beat again on medium for 15 seconds.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 1c powdered sugar and 1tsp cinnamon.
Scoop the dough with your cookie scoop (you may need to clean it in very hot water after a few scoops because this is very thick and sticky dough) into the powdered sugar/cinnamon mix, and roll it around to completely cover the dough ball.
Place the dough balls two inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake 10 minutes until they look cracked on top and edges look cooked through.
Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to cooling racks.
