Tried and True: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

A few years ago I had an awesome chocolate cookie recipe and somewhere along the way it got lost. I found this one on Pinterest.  I think the link said it was a Martha Stewart recipe.  Reading through it reminded me a great deal of that lost recipe, with the exception that the dough is rolled in a spicy sugar mixture.



I made just half a recipe, but the recipe below is as it was written.  My half recipe made 2 1/2 dozen so expect somewhere around 5 dozen from the recipe.

The recipe calls for a 400F oven which seemed hot to me and the cookies agreed.  The first batch got a wee bit dark on the bottom  but I was sure I'd timed it just right.  The second batch I did time and they were even darker.  I cut the heat back to 375F and baked for 11 minutes.  They might have gone 12 but it definitely cut out the burnt bottom.  My oven typically doesn't run hot, so take that in consideration if you try this recipe and do a test batch to see how it works for you.

Note that this cookie calls for cream of tartar and not baking powder.  I keep this on hand as I find it makes biscuits light and fluffy.  It keeps the cookies a little soft and that's what makes these so awesome. You can use baking powder but I recommend that you add at least 1 tsp cream of tartar anyway.

The cookies taste great.    I'd like to try these with chocolate and cinnamon chips in them and with fresh chili powder instead of the old chili powder I had.  I'd like to try this with a better quality chili powder next time. I'll definitely enjoy tweaking and playing with this but it's very good just as it is...I had to hide them!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp  baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder (I highly recommend fresh chili powder)

Preheat oven 400F (I found 375 worked best for my oven and pan)

Mix the flour, leavenings and cocoa.

Beat butter and sugar on medium speed  two minutes.  Scrape bowl, add eggs and beat until everything is well blended.  Lower mixer speed and add the flour mixture.  Stop beating when all ingredients are blended.  At first this appears too dry but just let it mix in well.  It comes together in a soft dough in a minute or two.

Combine the sugar and spices in a small bowl. Roll cookie dough in small balls (about 1 tsp) and roll balls in sugar spice mixture.  Place 3 inches apart on parchment lined cookie pans.  Bake 10 minutes, until cookies flatten and crackle on top.  Remove from pan to wire rack to cool.