Match Monday: Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

PROFILE
In my own words: Hola, amigos y amigas. At first I was wary about this whole online dating thing, but my friend Snickerdoodle Cupcake had some success on here, so I figured, why not? 
For fun: I'm a joker.  I love playing tricks on my friends, especially sneaking up on them (in a nice way of course).
Favorite things: Mariachi music, surprise parties

I'm looking for someone who's ready to try something new...and isn't afraid to get a little spicy, if you know what I mean.

Today's Match Monday treat was suggested by Traveling Teacher Guy.* Double-T G. used to give assemblies to school kids as part of a traveling museum, and now teaches 5th grade full time.  He enjoys walking from the Upper East Side to Union Square, just because.  Lost frustrates him to no end, but he still insists on watching it.

Maybe that's why he and I didn't really hit it off - I gave up on Lost a long time ago.  But, me and this cookie he suggested? Dios mio. There is definitely some chemistry entre nosotros.

Oh, they look innocent enough, alright.  You pick one up thinking it's a regular chocolate cookie.  You bite into one and realize it's a chocolate cookie with cinnamon.  Then you swallow one and...

Dios mio.

The cayenne catches after you've swallowed, smirking and saying "you didn't see that coming, did you?"  But it's not too spicy - it's just spicy enough to leave a lingering, comforting warmth on your throat and tongue.  A warmth that's so comforting - nay, inviting - that I couldn't help going back for seconds and thirds.

We're re-christening these cookies though.  We're calling them Wait for It Cookies, because after you take that first bite and swallow...well, you'll know what I mean.

This cookie has another surprise - it's vegan.  Now, before you go running and screaming in the other direction, I can vouch for vegan cookies.  You see, the absolute BEST cookies Becky and I make are a vegan recipe.  No one has ever NOT liked those cookies - they are out of this world.  But, that, mis amigos, is a recipe for another day.  You're just gonna have to wait for it.

Buen provecho!

- Katie

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles (aka Wait for It Cookies)

Adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar via Culinary in the Desert

Makes about 24 cookies

For the cookie dough

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons soy, almond or regular milk (if using regular milk, the cookies won't be vegan)
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the sugar coating

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cayenne and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined.

4. In a shallow dish, stir together sugar and cinnamon.

5. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, then gently flatten each ball into a 2" disc. Place once side of the dough disc into the sugar coating, pressing to adhere. Place dough, sugar side up, onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 2" apart.

6. Place into the oven and bake until the cookies have spread and are crackly on top, about 9 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack - let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes:

- We used a heaping 1/4 tsp of cayenne.  They could afford to be slightly spicier, so next time we'll try closer to 1/2 tsp.

- We used whole milk.

- Ours were done after 9 minutes in the oven.

- For whatever reason, the last batch of cookies we baked didn't crack as much as the first, I think because the dough got pretty warm sitting out on the table between batches.  Next time we might try storing the dough in the refrigerator between batches.