Mayan Xocoatl (Chocolate) Cookies

Chocolate was on the brain recently (which is not such an uncommon experience), as I spent a moment to appreciate the creamy and sweet chocolate bar I had enjoyed that day. And though chocolate is a modern-day mainstay, ranging from the everyday Hershey bar to the gourmet delicacy, chocolate reaches far back to the ancient Mayan culture. The Mayans were the first chocolate aficionados, and cacao was an integral part of their society and religion. They consumed chocolate in very different way than we do now; while the common chocolate bar contains milk and sugar, Mayans made a hot-chocolate-like drink called “chocolatl,” made of roasted cocoa beans, water and spice. And cacao was larger than just a consumable: the beans were also used as currency. That seems like a brilliant prospect to me. I certainly wouldn’t mind a salary comprised of chocolate (though I would prefer the sugary, milky kind); I know it would go to good use.

I have seen many variations of Mayan-inspired chocolate in the form of bars, candies, and hot cocoa mixes, and the two main components of this kind of chocolate (the Mayan word being “xocoatl”) are a hot spice, like the cayenne in the recipe below, and a darker cacao content. So I used a base chocolate cookie recipe and made a few adjustments to create something a bit closer to chocolatl: the instant espresso coffee powder add a bitterness that the unsweetened cocoa powder supports, and the cinnamon and cayenne lend a strong spiciness that would not work as well with a sweeter chocolate cookie foundation.

Moonstruck Chocolates, based out of Oregon, do a fantastic dark chocolate chili bar, with even more of a kick than these cayenne-infused xocoatl cookies.

Xocoatl Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder

¼ tsp. finely ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup date sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla

½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, espresso powder, black and cayenne peppers and the cocoa powder. Using an electric mixture, beat the butter with 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; mix well. Add the sifted dry ingredients and blend well. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Roll a piece of dough about the size of a small walnut between the palms of your hands. Using your index finger, press an indentation in the center of the cookie. Place a few chocolate chips in the indentation. Mold the dough around the chips to enclose them completely, pressing to seal. Roll the dough into a ball and then roll in sugar and place on baking sheet.

3. Continuing forming rest of the dough. Bake 8 minutes.