Mexican Chocolate Snowballs
Melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cookies featuring cocoa, cinnamon, roasted almonds, and a hint of cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
blanched slivered almonds (toasted, chopped fine)
¾ cup
all-purpose flour
1¾ cups
Dutch-processed cocoa powder
6 tablespoons
baking powder
½ teaspoon
ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon
salt
½ teaspoon
cayenne pepper (optional)
1⁄8 teaspoon
unsalted butter (softened)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks)
confectioners' sugar (plus about 1¼ cups for coating)
½ cup
large egg yolk
1
pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon
Instructions
1
PREHEAT
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2
SPREAD
Spread the almonds on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. Transfer them to a cutting board; once cool enough to handle, chop finely. Keep the oven temperature.
3
WHISK
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using).
4
USING
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add ½ cup of confectioners' sugar and beat until fully combined. Beat in the egg yolk, then add the vanilla extract. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the almonds.
5
DROP
Using a round soup spoon, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1.5 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the tops feel slightly firm to the touch but the inside feels soft. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
6
PLACE
Place the remaining 1¼ cups of confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl. While the cookies are still warm, gently roll them in the sugar, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Before serving or storing, roll the cookies in the sugar again.
