Mexican chocolate shortbread cookies

These buttery Mexican chocolate shortbread cookies, enriched with dark chocolate, and spiced with cinnamon, and hot cayenne pepper,  simply melt in your mouth with an intense chocolaty flavor, and a lingering warmth and heat.

We’re into full Christmas cookie baking mode in our kitchen, testing out different recipes, and picking our favorites to give out to friends later. I always have chocolate, and coffee on my mind first, when I think cookies, so the first cookie I baked was a chocolate shortbread cookie. After some experimentation, this is the version I’ve settled for, and I loved the most. Instead of adding coffee, as my initial instinct, I decided to go back to the roots, and use some ancient Mayan flavorings, dating thousands of years ago, when the first chocolate drink was born.

In those ancient Mayan times, chocolate was consumed only as a bitter drink, spiced with chiles and vanilla.  It was revered by the Mayans to such an extent that the cacao beans served as a currency for centuries, and the drink was used in religious rituals, and marriage ceremonies.   It was much later, when the Spanish brought the cacao beans over to Europe, when cinnamon and sugar were added, and transformed chocolate into a solid, luxurious confectionery item.

The addition of cinnamon to the chocolate was a genius move by the Spanish, that was later introduced back to Mexico, and there it took deep roots.   In its simplest form, Mexican chocolate  has cinnamon and chiles, but other spices like allspice, annatto, cardamom, and anise can also be added in smaller quantities.  If you haven’t tried a combination of chocolate and cinnamon with a touch of heat from cayenne pepper, you are missing out!  It’s a marriage made in culinary heaven!  You simply need to try this in any form you like – hot chocolate, ice cream, cake, or cookies.

Here’s my Mexican chocolate cookie version.
I added some finely grated dark chocolate to the dough for extra flavor and decadence (feel free to add your own favorite chocolate – milk, white, bitter-sweet).  And for a special Christmas-y touch, I dusted the cookies with powdered sugar, in the shape of Christmas trees, and snowflakes (I used my cookie press discs).

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go bake some more cookies (maybe mocha, or coconut ones…)

Oh, and before I go, here’s another rather unique cookie recipe, which I think is the ultimate walnut cookie – a must try as well!!

5 from 2 votes

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Mexican chocolate shortbread cookies

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

These buttery Mexican chocolate shortbread cookies, enriched with dark chocolate, and spiced with cinnamon, and hot cayenne pepper, simply melt in your mouth with an intense chocolaty flavor, and a lingering warmth and heat.

Course: Sweets / Snacks

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories: 75 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp coarse salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
• 6 Tbs sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8-1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 2 oz grated dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Beat the butter with the sugar, until creamy
2. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, and cacao powder. Mix well.
3. Add the flour, little by little, until a dough ball forms.
4. Grate the chocolate in a fine grater, and add to the dough.
5. Chill the dough for half an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
7. Roll out the dough to about 5 mm thickness. Cut out shapes small shapes, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
8. Alternatively, before placing the dough in the fridge, shape it into a log, and wrap in plastic foil. After it hardens in the fridge, cut it into disks, 5 mm thick.

Recipe Notes

1. Makes about 2 dozen cookies, 1 1/2 inch in diameter.

2. It's hard to tell by the looks, if the cookies are done, since they are dark, so go by the clock, and don't bake for more than 12 minutes. The cookies will be soft, so don't let that confuse you - they will harden as they cool down.