Mexican Spice Cookies & Mexican Hot Chocolate

It was taco night and I claimed dessert. Of course I did. It's much more fun to make dessert than to chop tomatoes or grate cheese. Not that each ingredient doesn't play a crucial part, I'm simply focusing on the fun aspect. Okay, and the 'mmmm' factor. Yes, people miss the cheese when it's not available for their taco, but no one (usually) puts a pile of grated cheese on their plate and eats it with a fork. They will, however, give dessert such honored attention. Maybe that's another reason I like making desserts - it doesn't get lost in the shuffle of dinner.

Back to taco night. After quickly claiming dessert (trust me, margaritas did cross my mind first) I started to think about what to bring. I knew I didn't want to bring the usual Mexican dessert that people would expect (whatever that is?). It didn't take long to land on Mexican hot chocolate. I have a recipe from a former co-worker, Bob, that I just can't get enough of (the hot chocolate, not Bob - although he's a pretty great guy, too!) So that was part one. But that wasn't enough; a drink needs something to go with it. A little cookie would be perfect. The only Mexican cookie recipes I found all had nuts and that just wouldn't do, so the following recipe is an improvisation I made to Mexican wedding cookies - no nuts, add spices for flavor. They are delectable. So is the chocolate. Thanks, Bob!


Mexican Spice Cookies
1 c. salted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1 tsp. Mexican vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

1.  Preheat oven to 350. In an electric mixer, blend butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until well blended. Add Mexican vanilla and mix well. (Regular vanilla will work here if you don't have Mexican vanilla. But I'd highly recommend trying Mexican vanilla sometime - it has great flavor!)

2. In a separate bowl, mix flour and spices. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and blend until just well incorporated. Dough will be very soft.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (don't worry about being exactly edge to edge, cookies don't spread a lot). Dust hands with flour and roll dough in tablespoon size balls, using hands to form the balls. Dust hands as often as necessary to prevent dough from sticking. The dough will spread a little, but cookies are small.

4. Bake for 18 min until bottoms are golden and tops are just barely starting to turn gold. Leave on the sheet until just cool enough to handle.

5. When cool enough to handle, dip cookies in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat, let cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar through a small sifter for a finishing coat for looks.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Mexican Hot Chocolate
6 oz. dark chocolate (pref. chili chocolate)
1 cup dry milk powder
1 1/2 T corn starch
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 c. sugar

1. Break chocolate into pieces and process in a food processor or blender until it resembles coarse powder. Pour chocolate into a medium-size bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix. That is now your Mexican Hot Chocolate mix.

3. To make a single serving, combine 4 tablespoons of mix 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan and heat until it just starts to bubble, stirring constantly. Whisk until blended smooth. Serve hot. Feel free to change the water/milk ratio to create your desired consistency. The fat content in your milk (and in the powdered milk) will also affect the consistency of the final product.

Notes: This recipe was originally designed to be one of those layered jar gifts. Because I use it for personal consumption, I throw all the ingredients together, mix, and store - ready for use. But feel free to mix various ingredients, layer into a pint jar, tie a bow around the top and share the love! Also, as is, the drink is not spicy hot, so don't be afraid to try it because of the chili powder!

Enjoy!