Blue Ribbon Group Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Winning Cookies with a Kick
Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles: this award-winning recipe is a delicious, fun spin on classic snickerdoodles, with cayenne, cocoa, and baking chocolate kicking up the heat and yum factor. You end up rolling the dough in sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and sea salt, making the flavors bloom with your first bite. They’re equally soft and chewy with a slightly crisp texture. One taste and you’ll know why it won top honors.
Choose Your Hotness
If you like a bit of heat in your baked goods, try these spicy snickerdoodles “as is” or choose your “hotness” by adjusting the cayenne (up or down). I actually added the cayenne because, frankly, I love all things spicy. You can certainly leave it out. Recipe credit goes to Kim Dame who won 1st place in at the L.A. County Fair with this recipe. (Gold Medal Flour, best cookie contest, 2014)
Inspiration, Preparation
Kim’s Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles were inspired by a favorite coffee cream flavor. When she won, Kim shared that in preparation for the recipe contest, she baked a huge variety of cookies. The flavors ranged from coconut to molasses and orange. Her co-workers and friends were the lucky taste testers. They were most wowed by the Mexican Hot Chocolate, and the rest is history.
Bake these Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles. You’ll be wowed as well.
More for Chocolate Lovers
Double Chocolate S’More Sandwich Cookies, another L.A. County Fair winner
Potato Chip Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, another must-make cookie recipe
Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
Rolling Mixture:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
For the dough: in a medium bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, cocoa powder, cayenne, cinnamon, baking soda, and kosher salt; set aside. In a stand-up mixer (or with a large bowl and hand mixer), beat together butter, shortening, and sugar until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the melted chocolate. Gradually add in flour mixture until all combined. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
For the rolling mixture: in a small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder and sea salt. Using a tablespoon or small scoop for a consistent size, scoop the dough and roll by hand into 1-inch balls. Coat in the rolling mixture. Place about 2 inches apart on the 2 baking sheets. Place in refrigerator. Chill for 1 hour. (Alternately you can wrap the full batch of dough in plastic and chill 2-4 hours, overnight or longer before rolling into 1-inch balls, etc.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 5-10 minutes. Remove and finish cooling on wire racks. Makes about 36-40 cookies, depending on size you choose.
