These Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are a delightful twist on classic shortbread. Rich cocoa and warm spices give them a subtle heat that pairs beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a hot cup of coffee or tea.
These cookies are baked slowly at a low temperature, which yields a crisp, tender shortbread. The flavor comes from a blend of ancho chile powder, cinnamon, and a touch of freshly ground black pepper—just enough spice to enhance the chocolate without overpowering it.
They make excellent dunkers and are a lovely addition to a Mexican-themed gathering or any dessert spread. If you enjoy serving cookies with ice cream, these also work wonderfully as a crunchy garnish.
For other shortbread variations, consider cranberry-orange, pumpkin, or lemon shortbread cookies—each offers its own bright or seasonal flavor profile.
Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup lightly packed unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butterat room temperature
- 10 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- additional sugar for coating the cookies
Instructions
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Sift together the flour, cocoa, ancho chile powder, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper; sift once more to combine evenly.
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In a medium bowl, cream the room-temperature butter with the 10 tablespoons of sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla, then add the dry ingredients. The dough will be crumbly at first—stir and knead it with your hands until it becomes smooth and pliable.
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Place the dough between two sheets of waxed paper and roll it to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Chill the rolled dough for 30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 275°F and position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Lightly coat two baking sheets with shortening.
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Cut rounds using a 2-inch cutter. Pierce each cookie twice with a fork. Pour the coating sugar onto a small plate and gently press the top of each cookie into the sugar so it adheres. Arrange the cookies sugar-side up on the prepared sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
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Bake for about 40 minutes, switching the positions of the baking sheets halfway through (top to bottom and front to back) so they brown evenly. The cookies should be crisp and firm.
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Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets on racks for 5 minutes, then transfer them to paper towels or a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Their texture and flavor improve after a day and they will keep about one week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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