Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder (or substitute by adding 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking
soda - 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons margarine* I didn't have this so instead I used more butter and a little bit of canola oil...I think it was about 2 more tblspns butter and then drizzled in the oil at the end of mixing everything together to get the dough to stay together more...
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Generous pinch ground black pepper
- Generous pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup caramel drizzle (recipe follows)
Directions
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk and set aside. Combine the sugars in a small bowl and mix well with your fingers pressing out any lumps.
In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and margarine until creamy. Add sugar mixture, cinnamon, peppers, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Beat in the egg white and until the mixture is smooth. Stop the mixer. Add the flour mixture, beating on the lowest speed, just until incorporated *Add oil in here as needed for the dough to stick together. Put waxed paper or plastic wrap down on your counter or table and dump the dough out on it. Gather the dough together with your hands and form it into a neat log, 9 to 10 inches long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter (or you know, just long and thin). Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap (you can use the plastic wrap/waxed paper to help get all the dough to come together, since mine was a little dry. Fold or twist ends of the paper without pinching or flatting the log. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes, or until needed.
Put the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven (I just used the middle ones and didn't switch them half way through...) and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Use a sharp knife to slice rounds of chilled dough, a scant 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the cookies, 1-inch apart (or so), on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through. Cookies will puff and crackle on top, and then begin to settle down slightly when done.Check carefully to make sure then don't burn--use your nose--because they're really dark and it's hard to tell.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing or stacking. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months.
Caramel Sauce-1/2 c white sugar
-3 tblspns butter
-1/4 c heavy whipping cream
-tsp of cinnamon
-shake or large pinch of cayenne
-salt n peppa
*water as needed
-Heat sugar in a tall, heavy sauce pan and stir only until it starts to boil and then stop stirring (you can still swirl the pan around though)
-Once the sugar is golden, add the butter and immediately whisk until the butter is melted
-Once the butter is totally melted, remove from the heat, count to 3 and then add the cream
-Whisk until smooth
-Add in the spices and whisk
-Add salt and pepper to taste/a few shakes of salt and grinds of pepper
-Let cool a little bit and then drizzle onto the cookies and eat everything.
*If you suck at making caramel, add a 1/4-1/2 c of water to the sugar before it boils. The water has to boil off before the sugar can caramelize, so the sugar gets cooked more evenly and is less likely to burn. This does take longer, but since I always burn my caramel, I think it's worth it.
**The sauce is a little spicy but in the most addictive way.
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