Mexican Triple Chocolate Cookies

One of Little Miss’s favorite birthday treats I’ve ever made was the chocolate cinnamon cupcakes.  Her teachers adored them, too.  When I was trying to figure out what to make for my cookie swap this year (aside from the chocolate chip cookie dough truffles that oh my word were they good), I decided to recreate that flavor in my cookies.  Who doesn’t need something with a little heat in the winter, right?

And so the Mexican hot chocolate cookies were born.  I made them dairy free so Little Miss would have another treat, but you could easily make these with butter instead of coconut oil.  But man the coconut oil was perfect in them.  They have just a tiny kick of heat that you don’t get in the first bite.  It starts to come a touch as you chew, and then the warmth spreads.  It isn’t overwhelming by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a pleasant warmth and something you don’t often get from a dessert.

Needless to say, Little Miss adored them.  And so did everyone else who tried them.  Well except Mister Man who declared that a bomb exploded in his mouth, but since he complains if I put a sprinkle of pepper on tuna salad, I don’t take his opinion into account often.  At least not when it comes to food!

There is one cookie left right now, and I’m doing my best to make it last, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be gone before the end of the day.  On the plus side, that’s just an excuse to make more, right?

Mexican Triple Chocolate Cookies

1/2 c coconut oil (or butter)
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 t vanilla bean paste
1 t coffee extract or strong espresso
2 eggs
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/4 c chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Melt together the chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler.  Heat just until the chocolate is mostly melted, stirring periodically.

Once the chocolate is mostly melted, remove from the heat and stir until fully melted and looks smooth and glossy.  Set aside and let cool while you start the next steps.

In your mixing bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, and coffee extract.  Stir until it starts to come together, then beat for one to two minutes until it’s lighter and fluffier.  Add the chocolate mixture and mix until it’s completely incorporated.

Add the cinnamon, chili powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix again until incorporated.  Add the flour and mix just until the flour has disappeared.  Add the chocolate chips and stir by hand, if needed, to ensure that they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.  The dough will be thick, and you don’t want to have patches with all chips and patches with none.

Using a small scoop or spoon to ensure the cookies are evenly sized, scoop onto a cookie sheet with a sil pat.  Bake for 12-14 minutes until the tops have started to crack.  You don’t want to over bake these.

Let cool on the cookie sheet for three to four minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Whatever you don’t eat, you can store in a tightly sealed container for three to four days.

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