Mexican Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am sooo cold.... sooo cold!  My hands are freezing.  My feet are freezing.  My nose is freezing.  CHICAGO IS FREEZING!!  My solution... Mexican Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies.  These bad boys are amazing right out of the oven.  Gooey centers... crispy edges... and a spicy bite that is sure to warm you up!!

BUT of course I have forgotten to bring my butter to room temperature!  WAIT? NO!!! I WANT THE COOKIES NOW.  Don't you hate it when this happens?

Cold butter.... what to do??

FORTUNATELY... I picked up a trick from someone a few years ago (for the life of me I can't remember who) on how to get your butter to room temperature in a minute... not an hour!

Love my new rolling pin!

Place your cold stick of butter between two sheets of wax paper/parchment paper.  

Getting warmer...

Take a rolling pin and start pounding.  Once you flatten the butter out quite a bit you can start rolling until the butter is about 1/4 inch thick.  

Room temperature butter in a minute!

VIOLA.... you have room temperature butter.  Move quickly though and peel off the butter before it gets too soft! (If it does... no worries... just use a spatula to get it off.)

Chocolatey goodness.....

Now, where were we??  OHHHH... the freezing cold and Mexican Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Chipotle Cinnamon Sugar -- Spicy Savory Sweet

I used chipotle chili powder which can be really spicy.  So if you are concerned about the heat level then you can use regular chili powder or a combination of the two to get the spice just right!

I eat them straight out of the oven!!

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart/Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder if you want it less spicy)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, whip together butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar until creamy with an electric mixer.  Scrape down sides of the bowl and then beat in eggs.  Once combined slowly beat in flour mixture.   When dough is completely incorporated add in chocolate morsels and beat until combined.
• In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and chili powder.  Using a tablespoon, form 1 inch balls of dough.  Roll dough balls in sugar mixture.  Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.  Bake cookies in batches for about 10 minutes, until cookies puff up and begin to crack.  Let cookies cool on wire racks.  Serve warm or completely cooled.  Enjoy!