Chocolate Shortbread with Cinnamon and Spice

A few years ago a friend gave me some of these chocolate shortbread, along with some of her other holiday baking. I absolutely loved these! They are chocolatey, but not too sweet, and there’s just a taste of cinnamon, plus a warming hint of cayenne. It makes me think of a Mexican cookie.

The recipe is from Canadian Living Holiday Cookie Collection 2010. They put bittersweet chocolate on the top, but I didn’t do that.

I was happy to be able to take a photo featuring the Christmas angel we used to have on our tree when I was a kid.

What you need:

• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 & 1/4 flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

What you do:

1. Place the chocolate in a bowl above a small pot of hot water on the stove. Stir occasionally until melted. Set aside to cool.
2. Beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, then add the melted chocolate and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper and cayenne into the butter mixture. Stir to make a smooth dough.
4. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll out between sheets of wax paper (I used parchment, and it was fine but a little sticky) to about 5mm thick. Cut into shapes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
6. Bake for 20 minutes in a 325F oven. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing the cookies on a cooling rack.