When I was growing up, my Mom and I would be cooking or baking, and without much warning, we’d jab spoons of (insert whatever we were making) and say, “Try this!” Sometimes we paused to ask what it was, and sometimes we just went ahead and opened our mouths.

Fast forward to how this has affected my daily life as a married person.
Jenny, unbeknownst to Collin, enters marriage thinking this kind of behavior is completely normal. Jenny makes and wanders over to the computer room to Collin, pointing a spoon toward his face. Collin shrinks back in surprise. Jenny wonders what he’s doing while at the same time, Collin wonders what she’s doing. Isn’t that what marriage is about?
And so I learned to tell Collin what I was trying to shove toward him before catching him off guard. This was especially important for these cookies because when I think of dessert, “spicy” is the last adjective that comes to mind. Throw anything else at me- salty, sweet, gooey, caramelly, chocolatey, whatever… but “spicy” is not where my mind goes.
However, it’s exactly what these cookies here are aiming for. And I definitely gave Collin a heads up before I let him try some.
“They have chili powder in them. And some cinnamon. They’re kind of spicy.” I said.

I expected him to look at me like I was crazy, but he didn’t. He tried the cookie dough and said, “They’re good. Different, but really good.”
So that’s what we have here: some spicy chocolate cookies inspired by Pinterest and Starbucks’ Chile Mocha. Also a college-years fetish with making Mexican chocolate cheesecake. Sprinkle them with cinnamon for an extra level of flavor, and enjoy with hot cocoa, milk, or coffee; whatever you do- make sure you’re ready for the kick of spice!


Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Created by Jenny Barrett on November 21, 2016



• Prep Time: 2h 20m
• Cook Time: 10m
• Total Time: 3h

• Yield: 26 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar on medium/high until fluffy (about 1 minute).
2. Add cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, chili powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until combined.
3. Add baking soda and salt, mixing until well combined.
4. Gradually mix in the flour until it is evenly dispersed.
5. Mix in the chocolate chips until just combined.
6. Shape the dough into golf-ball sized spheres.
7. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep cookie sheets with non-stick spray or a silicone liner.
9. Bake for 10 minutes, turning at the halfway point.
10. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes. Then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

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