Summer is upon us, blogosphere, and for poor ol’ South Florida me that means the time of 600% humidity and 24 hour rainstorms is nigh. Sadly, it is the price I must pay for living somewhere that is a literal paradise when the rest of the country is suffering through blizzards and subzero temperatures, so I suppose I will bear my punishment with dignity.
That being said! You know what’s great about it being too hot to go outside without bursting into flames? More time in the kitchen! Somewhat counter intuitively, summer becomes a good baking season for me because while it may be hot in the kitchen, at least there’s still air conditioning. Now, on to today’s bake! Yes, Mexican hot chocolate. But…in cookie form! I recently purchased some black cocoa and realized that it is SERIOUS stuff. So dark that yes, it is really almost black, and the cocoa flavor is out of control. You’ll see in this recipe that I used a 2:1 ratio with regular cocoa because I didn’t want eating these cookies to become a chore. Also, as with all of my recipes that I make gluten free, you can easily swap back in AP flour and the recipe will be just as good!
A quick note – why gluten free? While I don’t have celiac disease, I do have a dear friend with gluten sensitivity issues (sup Erin) and a coworker (hey Linda!) that has celiac and usually never gets to try what I bring in to work for everyone since it’s made with flour. Gluten free baking has improved lightyears from the days of blending your own nut flours and stabilizers, and if I can make something that everyone could enjoy why wouldn’t I?
Now let’s get crackin’!
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup baking cocoa, sifted – I used a 2:1 ratio of regular cocoa to black cocoa, but if you do not have black cocoa using all regular cocoa will be just fine!
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp chile powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 4.65 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or morsels – dark chocolate would also work well for this
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, white, and brown sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk flour, sifted cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and cayenne; add in thirds to creamed mixture and mix well.
Here is the cocoa combination, pre-sifting! 
Side by side, ready for battle. - Stir in chocolate and chill for 45 minutes to an hour, or until easy to handle.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls (or use your handy dandy cookie scoop); place roughly 4 in. apart on ungreased (non-stick or SILPAT-ed) baking sheets.
- Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool 4 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
Not burnt – that would be the magic of black cocoa at work
There you have it, friendies! A fun twist on a double chocolate cookie, and it’s a little easier to handle than the version of this cookie that has chipotle and ghost pepper in it.May I suggest eating them warm with some ice cream? Just a thought.
-Nicole
The War On Fondant 
I think it’s great to have a gluten free recipe in your repertoire even if you aren’t gluten free. It means that friends or even people you’ve yet to meet can enjoy your baking 🙂
This post would make a great addition to Our Growing Edge, a monthly blog link up just for new food adventures. It’s a fun way to share your new food experiences with other foodies. This month’s theme is ALLERGY FRIENDLY RECIPES which includes gluten, dairy or nut free recipes.
More info including how to submit your link here: http://bunnyeatsdesign.com/our-growing-edge/
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