Chili Snaps
I know what you’re thinking. It’s a perfect day for chili dogs – snowy – freezing cold – football all day. But you’re also thinking, “Come on – who needs a recipe for that?” You buy some hot dogs and buns, make or buy some chili and voila, there you have it, a chili dog.
But we’re talking about Chili Dog the new puppy, Cupcake’s baby sister. This puppy is a tomboy, too rough and tumble for a sweet name like Cupcake.
She’s a wrestler, a nipper, a barker, and a fearless stair climber. She is not a cuddler or a napper. Chili Dog is a good name. She is one hot puppy!
In her honor we made cookies – two kinds! They are the perfect cookies to celebrate this new puppy. Chili Snaps and Hot Chocolate Chili Cookies are both sweet, a little spicy, and delicious. The Chili Snaps are an accidental cookie – sometimes a cooking mistake yields fabulous results and this is one of those occasions. Does anyone else think powdered nutmeg looks like chili powder? Okay, the kitchen was kind of dark and cookies were a late-night snack request. The mistake wasn’t realized until the cookies were in the oven and I was putting up ingredients. But guess what? They were amazing – just a little snappier than your everyday run of the mill ginger snap.
The Hot Chocolate Chili Cookies were a plan. We love them with black pepper so chili powder just seemed like a natural fit. It was – like a glove.
Lots of neighborhood kids (especially the girls) have been dropping by and they give both cookies and the puppy thumbs up. The grown-ups are no exception.
The puppy doesn’t get a vote on the cookies, but her tiny homemade dog biscuits seem to satisfy along with a favorite pair of slippers and the corner of the fringed rug. Sigh…..Enjoy!
Chili Snaps
Ingredients
1 stick (½ cup) butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar (plus extra for rolling cookies)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cardamom
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup molasses
2¼ cups flour
Directions
With an electric mixer cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix to combine.
Add all spices, salt, and baking soda and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add molasses and mix to combine.
Mix in flour starting with 1 cup to combine and then adding the rest and mixing thoroughly.
Refrigerate dough for an hour (or up to 24 hours).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
Roll dough into walnut size balls and roll in sugar.
Place on baking sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes.
Allow to cool and enjoy!
Hot Chocolate Chili Cookies (Printable Recipe)
Ingredients
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ tsp baking powder
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ½ cups flour
Optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Ingredients
With an electric mixer cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
Add all spices, salt, and baking soda and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add cocoa powder and combine.
Add flour 1 cup at a time to combine.
Roll into a log on a large piece of plastic wrap until about 2 -1/2 inches in diameter. Chill until firm, about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Slice dough into 1/3-inch slices and arrange about 1 inch apart.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes until edges beginning to crisp.
Allow to cool and enjoy!
Both cookies can be stored in an airtight container.
