Ancho Chile Mexican Chocolate Cookies Recipe 455

ANCHO CHILE-MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, ancho chili powder, baking soda, and fine salt. In a large bowl, beat unsalted butter on medium-high speed 1 minute or until light and creamy. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat 2 minutes or until slightly fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat until well combined. Add half the flour mixture; meat on medium-low speed until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture; beat 2 minutes or just until mixture comes together (do not over mix). Add chocolate chunks and pepitas; beat on low until just combined. Use a 2 ounce ice cream scoop of 1/4 cup dry measuring cup to portion dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2" between each cookie. Bake 15 minutes or until edges are crisp but centers are still soft, rotating backing sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets before removing to a rack. Store up to 5 days in an airtight container.

ANCHO CHILE CHOCOLATE BROWNIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler, add sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Place chocolate mixture in a mixing bowl and fold in flour, salt and baking powder. Add pecans and chile powder. Pour mixture into a deep 9 by 13 greased pan and bake in oven for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve with Cajeta Sauce, cinnamon ice cream, and sifted cocoa powder.
• Stir together the milk, sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon stick in medium size heavy pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Dissolve the baking soda in 1 tablespoon water, remove the milk from the heat, and stir in the soda mixture, having a spoon ready to stir the mixture down if it bubbles up. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until the mixture thickens into a pale-gold syrup, about 25 minutes. At this point, begin stirring very frequently as the mixture thickens into a caramel-brown syrup that's the consistency of maple syrup, about 10 minutes more. Strain the cajeta sauce through a fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup. Let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the sherry, rum or brandy (plus a little water, if necessary, to bring it to 1 1/2 cups). Refrigerate covered. When cold, the cajeta sauce should have the consistency of thin corn syrup.

HOT COCOA WITH ANCHO CHILES AND SPICE

Steps:

• Bring first 7 ingredients and pinch of salt to simmer in medium saucepan, whisking often. Add cinnamon sticks. Cover; remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes. Bring to simmer, whisking. Discard cinnamon.

SPICY MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs; add cream of tartar and baking soda. Beat in cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and cayenne powder. Beat in flour. Stir chocolate chips into the dough.
• Mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together in a bowl.
• Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls. Roll balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture and place on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until centers are set and edges crack slightly, about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.

ANCHO MOLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Toast nuts and ¼ cup sesame seeds on a rimmed baking sheet on upper rack, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
• Stir together ancho powder and agave syrup in a small bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed, until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape in ancho mixture and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. Add dried fruit, chocolate, and toasted nuts and sesame seeds; mix with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
• Divide dough in half. Working one at a time, roll each piece into a 10"-long log. Wrap each log tightly in plastic and roll across work surface to make as smooth and cylindrical as possible. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until surface is firm, about 20 minutes.
• Slap a log down onto counter to create a flat side; roll over and slap again to flatten another side (you're aiming for a triangular shape). Repeat to create third side of the triangle. Tap against counter to smooth if needed, then tap ends to flatten. Repeat with second log. Return logs to baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Working one at a time, unwrap logs and brush sides with egg white. Working on baking sheet, sprinkle sides with remaining 1 cup sesame seeds and gently press to coat. Surface should be covered; use more sesame if needed. Freeze logs on baking sheet, uncovered, until surface is very firm but not frozen solid, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice a log crosswise into ¼"-thick triangles and divide cookies between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1" apart. (If dough is soft or starts to lose its shape, freeze 10 minutes before continuing.) Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through, until edges are just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to a platter or airtight container and line baking sheets with fresh sheets of parchment paper. Repeat process with remaining dough.
• Do Ahead: Dough can be rolled into logs 3 days ahead; refrigerate. Transfer to freezer 30 minutes before slicing. Cookies can be baked 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE CHILE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and chile powder on medium-low speed until smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes.
• Increase the speed to medium. With the mixer running, add the eggs, 1 at a time, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed, then add the vanilla extract. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute.
• Turn the speed to low and, with the mixer running, add the flour mixture a little at a time. Continue mixing until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed, then add the cashews and chocolate chips all at once. Keep mixing until the cashews and chocolate have integrated and a thick dough has formed.
• Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 12-inch log. (You can use a sheet of wax or parchment paper to help roll the dough evenly, or dust with extra flour if the dough is sticky.) Place both logs on a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper, then flatten both logs with your palms until about 1-inch thick. Sprinkle each with a little granulated sugar to evenly coat.
• Bake until the logs lose their sheen, 20 to 25 minutes. There should still be some softness in the middle of each log when gently pressed. Be careful not to overbake, as the logs may break when sliced later.
• Turn off the oven, take out the biscotti and let cool on the sheet pan for a few hours. (The longer they rest, the easier they will be to slice without breaking.)
• For the second bake, heat the oven to 300 degrees. (The temperature is lower for gentler, more even baking.)
• Using a serrated knife, slice each log at an angle into ½-inch slices. You may trim and discard the ends or bake them along with the other slices - they taste just as good. Place the slices, cut sides down, on the same parchment-lined half-sheet pan. (You don't need to be careful about spacing them out.)
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the biscotti are no longer soft to the touch. They will harden a little further after cooling. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the pan. The biscotti will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

ANCHO CHILE FETTUCCINI WITH CILANTRO-TOMATILLO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Roast ancho chiles and 4 cloves unpeeled garlic. Press the chiles flat against the pan with a spatula until they begin to pop and smoke, then flip. When done, rehydrate chiles in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. Turn garlic until all sides are browned, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then peel.
• In a blender or food processor, combine chiles, 2 cloves roasted garlic, and eggs. Blend until smooth. Place the flour in a mound on a clean surface. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt with a fork, then make a well in the center. Pour in egg mixture. Working from the center outward, gradually incorporate the flour with a fork until dough is formed. Knead dough for 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Prepare fettuccini according to your pasta machine's instructions. Lay the fettuccine flat on lightly floured surface for 15 minutes.
• In a blender or food processor, combine 2 remaining cloves roasted garlic, cilantro, tomatillos, jalapeno, cream cheese, sour cream, chicken stock, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan over low heat, and cook until heated through.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pasta rises to the surface. Drain, and divide into serving portions; pour sauce over top.