If you’ve followed my blog for some time now, you would know that I’m not one to make a lot of sweet dessert type recipes. It’s not something I intentionally do, but it has more to do with the fact that I am not the biggest fans of sweets. I know, call me crazy, but since I was a little kid I have never been a huge fan of anything sweet. I wasn’t that kid that loved Halloween candy, desserts, or pastries that much. I enjoyed them if they were there but they were never something I was willing to go out of my way for. With that being said, today is an exception because I am sharing with you a recipe I have had in my head for about 2 years but I was never sure how it would come out that is until today. Today I got to work to make my vision come to life to transform the flavors of Mexican hot chocolate into a chewy cookie version. This cookie recipe embodies the flavors of the cult-favorite Abuelita Hot Chocolate with the cocoa and the cinnamon perfectly blended together. As I was making this recipe, I failed and forgot to stop to take photos step by step. However, the process is so easy that I don’t know how helpful those step by step pictures would have been. I will post below the Instagram Reel I created that does break down the process step-by-step for those of you who are more visual learners. One thing I want to mention about this recipe is that is not a cookie that is trying to be anything but a cookie. This recipe uses butter and sugar and it is incredibly delicious. I don’t have to justify why I am posting this recipe because food doesn’t need to be justified. I have said it once before and I will say it again,
The key to a healthy lifestyle is to maintain a balance between the foods that are nourishing to our bodies and those that are nourishing to our soul.
So with that being said, enjoy your holidays, eat the foods that make you happy, and be kind to yourself since we all know this year hasn’t been very kind to us. Now let’s get into what you will need for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup melted butter (allow to cool to room temperature)
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 heaping teaspoon of freshly grated cinnamon**
**NOTE: The key to this recipe is using freshly ground cinnamon because this gives the characteristic taste of Mexican hot chocolate. Pre-ground cinnamon tends to lose its potency and will not give the same effect. If you decide to use any pre-ground cinnamon, use the one from McCormick. In my experience their spices and seasonings tend to be the most potent and fresh.
Directions
- Begin by melting 1 cup of butter (2 sticks) over the stovetop and allow to completely cool to room temperature before using in recipe.
- Once the butter has cooled, combine the butter, sugar (both brown and white), eggs, and vanilla extract in one bowl and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix to combine the ingredients.
- At this time, make sure your oven is preheated to 375F. If your oven has a convection oven setting, use this setting as it helps to ensure the cookies are baked evenly.
- Slowly sift in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to ensure there are no clumps of cocoa powder. Stir after adding half of the dry ingredients so it’s easier to incorporate the ingredients together.
- Mix until the wet and dry ingredients have formed a thick dough. The final texture of the dough should not be sticky and should be slightly thicker than brownie batter.
- Using a spoon (about a heaping tablespoon) roll the dough into balls and place on a non-stick cookie baking sheet. Make sure to leave enough room so that the dough has enough room to spread.
- Bake in the oven at 375F for 10-12 minutes. You will know the cookies are done when the edges are crisp and the center still remains slightly soft.
If you would like to watch the step-by-step video here (it’s a 30 second video reel from Instagram) it is down below to help you get an idea of the texture you are looking for.
If you give this recipe a try, tag @lifeatthemesa on Instagram so we can see how it turns out for you! If I’m not back with another recipe before the end of the year, I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season and here’s hoping that next year is a better one!
Best wishes,
Life at the Mesa 