Chocolate & Chipotle Cookies (Holy Mole!)

I did it! Today I completed my assignment to bake an El Paso-themed oatmeal cookie for Evelyn and her students at the University of Texas--El Paso.

Evelyn said her students "don’t want any old Texas recipe, they want an El Paso, TX, recipe, so that means put chili (long green, jalapeno, chipotle--any kind) in it somehow." So that's what I did.

I started with my Hot(ter) Chocolate recipe, which includes lots of chocolate and cinnamon and a healthy dash of cayenne pepper. (For those of you out there who haven't tasted the classic chocolate-and-chili pairing, you've really got to give a try.) I then swapped out the cayenne with a teaspoon of chipotle chili powder.

This cookie is super chocolaty and has both a pronounced cinnamon warmth and a peppery bite. Mmm...caliente! A roll in turbinado sugar before baking gives these cookies a nice crunch. And the ground-up graham crackers add that little something that will keep you coming back for more. Bring them in to your teacher, and you'll get an A!

Tracey, a reader from Oklahoma in Washington and a blogger herself, suggested the "Holy Mole!" name, so I can't take credit for that. (Thanks, Tracey!) Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

(To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Chocolate & Chipotle Cookies [Holy Mole!].)

Creamables	2 sticks butter 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Wet Ingredients	2 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon extract 1 teaspoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients	2 1/2 cups finely ground oatmeal 1 cup finely ground graham crackers 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup cinnamon chips 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 2.5 oz milk chocolate, microplaned 1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, microplaned 2 tablespoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder 1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping	turbinado sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
3. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
4. Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
7. Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each.
8. Roll each dough ball evenly in turbinado sugar
9. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
10. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Comments

[Alicia]

Those look so good. I got my cookie fix from a local bakery the other day. Stop by the site this afternoon and you'll read all about what I've been up to.

[Tracey in WA]

Ooooooooooo these sound so good!!! Love that you used my name :) But I am not from OK, just had to live there for 6 LONG years. Moved back to the Pacific Northwest last year, YEA!!! WIll make these this week to take for a test drive :)

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hi, Alicia. Thanks! I'll definitely stop by to see.

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hi, Tracey. D'oh! I had Oklahoma on the brain. I went back and made the correction. :-) And thanks again for "Holy Mole."

Let me know how these turn out. I hope they're spicy enough for hot-food lovers. The cinnamon gives a warmth that you taste and feel right up front. The chipotle gives a delayed heat--a nice kick in the back of the throat. It's like eating a chocolaty, cinnamony, peppery ginger snap. It makes you feel all warm inside.

[Alicia]

Hi Greg! You can check now. I have to stop checking in here. I want those cookies. I have to wait for the cocoa pebbles to go on sale again. I think I have all the ingredients except the cinnamon chips.

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hey there, Alicia! If you don't have cinnamon chips, and if you can't wait for King Arthur to deliver, I think a good substitution would be an additional tablespoon of cinnamon in the dry ingredients. And don't worry about the Cocoa Pebbles for this recipe...they're in some of my other chocolate-based cookies but not these guys. :-)

[Tracey in WA aka April]

OK Fred ... I mean Greg (inside joke) I finally got my cinnamon chocolate chips I ordered, made these cookies and I have to say I HATE YOU!!!! OMG they are so good, the heat is perfect and even tho while making them I thought you had lost your mind adding so much cinnamon but WOW!!! The only thing I did different is I flattened them slightly with a glass as I am not a fan of puffy cookies, just a quirk of mine. The crispy outside combined with the chewy inside HEAVEN!!!!! I had a nice Merlot that went with them perfectly!!!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Ha! Hi, Apr...Tracey. You crack me up. I'm sooo glad you liked these! I know...it seems like a lot of cinnamon, but boy does it taste great. And good tip about flattening the cookies a little before baking. (I did this when I baked my white chocolate macaroons.) Little tricks like this allow you to make two versions of the same cookie. I'm looking forward to trying that brown sugar shortbread you mentioned. :-)

[ANGELES SANTIAGO]

I'M MEXICAN,SO I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THIS DELICIOUS COOKIES!!!THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE:)