I mentioned yesterday I was going to bake these up while the blizzard fell. And all I can say is wow...very interesting blending of semi-sweet Mexican chocolate (kinda bitter with a hint of cinnamon) and cayenne pepper. It reminds me of my Chicken Mole recipe...
This recipe calls for Mexican Hot Chocolate pellets such as Ibarra or Abuelita. Krogers and Meijer's carry Abuelita brand (by Nestle) in their mexican section. Or they can be found in Mexican grocery stores.
I've never tried Ibarra but evidently the ibarra vs abuelita debate is as intense as the batch vs fly sparging argument.
both brands come in disk form.
If you cant find Mexican chocolate, you can approximate the flavor by using 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 9.5 onces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate. Add the cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup whole milk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 large egg, room temperature
* 9.5 ounces finely chopped Mexican chocolate, such as Ibarra (3 disks, or use the whole box which is 4 disks at 3.15 ounces each.)
1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a medium mixing bowl to aerate the mixture and break up any lumps. Set aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add milk and vanilla and blend well. Scrape down bowl, add egg, and mix well. Reduce mixer to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated. Fold in chopped chocolate.
3. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a log (approximately 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter), and wrap tight. Place in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour but preferably 8 hours.
4. When ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 350°F and arrange rack in the middle. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake until golden brown on the bottom, about 12 minutes.
This recipe calls for Mexican Hot Chocolate pellets such as Ibarra or Abuelita. Krogers and Meijer's carry Abuelita brand (by Nestle) in their mexican section. Or they can be found in Mexican grocery stores.
I've never tried Ibarra but evidently the ibarra vs abuelita debate is as intense as the batch vs fly sparging argument.
both brands come in disk form.
If you cant find Mexican chocolate, you can approximate the flavor by using 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 9.5 onces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate. Add the cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup whole milk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 large egg, room temperature
* 9.5 ounces finely chopped Mexican chocolate, such as Ibarra (3 disks, or use the whole box which is 4 disks at 3.15 ounces each.)
1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a medium mixing bowl to aerate the mixture and break up any lumps. Set aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add milk and vanilla and blend well. Scrape down bowl, add egg, and mix well. Reduce mixer to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated. Fold in chopped chocolate.
3. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a log (approximately 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter), and wrap tight. Place in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour but preferably 8 hours.
4. When ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 350°F and arrange rack in the middle. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake until golden brown on the bottom, about 12 minutes.