Aztec Chocolate Cookies for Tita & Pedro

Last month, the bookclub had chosen Like Water for Chocolate. I had heard rave reviews and praises about it and was looking forward to read it. But may be I had too much expectations or was partly busy or the book was overhyped, I liked it but I won't miss it. If you ask me whether I liked the book,I would say yes,but if asked whether I didnot like it then also the answer would be yes. May be its my practical side that is doing the talking rather than the dreamer in me.What started as a  simple love story of Tita and Pedro later turned into a tragic ending - atleast lovers reuniting in death and in the fantasy lost world of Eden is something I can't digest- but gives wonderful  insight into Mexican traditions and unheard of dishes or recipes almost centuries back. I couldn't try any of the recipes because they sounded odd (atleast to me!) but had made simple aztec style chocolate cookies  for you to munch on while you go through the book. The recipe is adapted from Savour Fare and is a simple chocolate cookie spiced with Chipotle chili pepper.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour: 1.5 cups + 1 tbsp

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: 1 tbsp

Powdered Ginger: 1 tsp

Powdered Cinnamon: 1 tsp

Powdered Dried Chipotle Chilli: 1/4 tsp +/-

Butter: 1/2 cup

Brown Sugar: 1/2 cup

Honey: 1/4 cup

Vanilla extract: 1 tsp

Baking Soda: 1 tsp

Water: 1.5 tsp (boiling)

Chocolate Chips: almost 1 cup +/- (I used a mix of white and semi sweet)

Granulated Sugar: 1/4 cup for dusting

Preparation:

In a small bowl,combine the flour,cocoa and the spices.

In a wider bowl, beat butter and sugar till fluffy. Add honey and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Beat in half of the flour mix to this.

Mix together baking soda and boiling water  and add it to the flour-butter-sugar mix. Then add in the remaining flour and the choco chips. You will get slightly sticky dough. First it looked like it was too dry,but as I started bringing it together,it turned out to be a bit sticky.

Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for atleast 30 minutes. 

Take out the dough and pinch small balls from it. Shape the balls as needed -I went for regular round ones and slightly flattened them. Roll the balls/ shapes in granulated sugar on both sides and place in a lined baking sheet.

Bake the cookies in a preheat oven at 325 F/160C for about 18 minutes or until the edges/top start browning or crack little. Keep an eye from the 12th minute onwards.

Simple cookies that have surprise taste in them. You feel the coco,choco chips and regular spices when you bite into these. But the lingering taste will that be of dried chipotles. Also since brown sugar is used I felt the cookies were on the heavier side. But thats my feeling.Do enjoy the hearty cookies.

Lets see what the BookClub made for Tita. This month we did the Beach Cafe and next month we are looking forward to Major Pettigrew.