cinnamon and chocolate

A quick note: Happy Birthday to my dear friend, Anne Lyons! Annie, I’ll see you this afternoon to celebrate your special day – so your “real” birthday post will be tomorrow, with pictures and all! Until then, I love you and HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!! xoxo

The theme of one of our kid’s cooking classes this week was “Mexican”. For dessert, we made these chunky quadruple chocolate cookies. What made them “Mexican” was the inclusion of Ibarra chocolate, which can be readily found in Arizona grocery stores.  If you live elsewhere and your store doesn’t have an expansive Hispanic section, Ibarra can be purchased online. What makes this chocolate special is the distinct cinnamon flavor. It is imported from Guadalajara, Mexico and the ingredients are sugar, cocoa nibs, lecithin, and cinnamon. It is primarily used to make hot cocoa or in baking. Ibarra is not often eaten like a candy bar because its undissolved granulated sugar makes a rough and gritty texture. Each package contains six 3.1-ounce chocolate tablets. Another fun aspect of these treats is the dipping of each cookie into three different chocolate glazes, making them extra festive and decadent. Muy Bien!

Mexican Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1  1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
2  1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts or pecans
1 round tablet (3.1-ounce) Mexican chocolate (such as Ibarra), chopped into chunks
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Triple Dipping Glaze
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, divided
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the brown sugar and the butter together until light and creamy.  Add the egg and mix well.

In another large bowl whisk together the flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Mix into the butter mixture.  Stir in the chopped nuts, chopped Mexican chocolate, milk chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool slightly.

Triple Dipping Glaze: Place 1 teaspoon of the shortening with semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 60 seconds. Remove and stir, if not completely melted, return to microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir until completely melted and smooth.

Dip each cookie into chocolate along one edge. Repeat with remaining shortening and chocolates. Rotate the dipped edge of the cookie for each type of chocolate.

Makes about 24 large cookies