Have you ever been to a coffee shop and ordered a Mexican mocha? This is basically the cookie version. You probably won't believe me when I tell you I put cayenne pepper in a cookie. Cinnamon and pepper are the main flavors. It is a little adventurous, I know, but is subtle enough for even the most spice-sensitive people. It may be blasphemous to alter such a classic, but variety is the spice of life, right?! When our friends invited us over for a Sunday lunch of grilled tacos by the pool, I said I would bring the cookies. Even though a classic chocolate chip cookie cannot be beat, I knew this cookie would complement the Tex-Mex flavors that we enjoy a lot of here in Austin.
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon {Watkins and Penzey are my favorite brands}
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips--I used chopped chocolate chunks
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Sift next 6 ingredients over butter mixture; beat just until blended. Mix in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Or, I used parchment paper and they turned out great. Bake cookies until golden brown but still soft to touch, about 10 minutes (for crisper cookies, bake 12 minutes). Let stand on sheets 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool. Inspired by this recipe. I made my own changes.
If you try these, let me know what you think!