Dec 20

Dec 20 Mexican Crinkle Cookies (GF)

Gluten Free Mexican Crinkle Cookies
1 cup gluten free flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
1/8 tsp cayenne

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and cayenne. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the sugar and oil until all of the sugar is wet. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

Fold in the dry mix you previously set aside. Don't forget to scrape down the sides!

The dough will be very loose, but don't worry, it's supposed to be! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, directly on the dough, and let it chill in the fridge for about 2 hours so it tightens up.

When you're ready to start baking, preheat your oven to 350˚F and prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Fill a bowl with your cup of powdered sugar, and grab a large spoon (or this nifty scoop) to scoop out 1-inch balls of dough.

Plop the 1-inch blob of dough, one at a time, in your bowl of sugar. They don't have to be perfect going in. Once you cover them in sugar, they'll be much easier to roll into a nice sphere without getting globs of junk stuck to your hands. Then, place each ball on your prepped cookie sheet. The cookies will spread out a bit, so I would leave two inches of room between them.

Bake for 17 minutes! Let them cool! EAT THEM.

"They're Christmas cookies because powdered sugar looks like snow."

This was my explanation to my husband when he asked what cookies I was going to make next. That's a good reason, right? I'm not sure if that's the general consensus, but it's good enough for me.

So, what makes these Mexican? It's that nice hum of cayenne in your mouth. When I was testing these out, they were just so bland without a little kick. Just chocolate and sugar! Ridiculous, right? I'm kidding. But I just was left wanting something more complex. My second batch was NOT bland at all. I added a bit too much spice and it was such a surprising slap right in the face. But it was kind of great. Despite being strong, I kept going back for more! So, I dialed it back a smidge, and made a more family friendly version that was more pleasant and less of a challenge (but if you like a challenge, just toss in 1/4 tsp instead of the suggested 1/8 in the recipe).