I really wish Valentine's Day fell at the end of February so we could have an entire month of pink, red, heart-shaped, and love-themed treats. They're my favorite.
I'm kicking off this season will a little bit of spice: Spicy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. There's just a hint of cayenne pepper in these. You really don't notice it until you get just a bit of heat after you've finished eating one.
They say red pepper increases metabolism, so...go ahead and have a few. ♥
I rolled these in sprinkles, but they're just as good without. If you do go the sprinkle route, I highly recommend a mix of jimmies and nonpareils. The jimmies are a bit softer while the nonpareils add a tiny bit of crunch.
One other optional part of the recipe...the resting time. I've been taking an online pasty class (!!!), and the instructor (Dominique Ansel!!!) mentioned that most ALL recipes using baking powder should rest overnight. So, I'm all about trying to do what Chef Dominique does when I can. (But, don't expect to see a Cronut on the blog for a while.)
Spicy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
{makes 32-36}
1 1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon + a pinch cayenne
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
10-12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
assorted sprinkles/jimmies
Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and cayenne together. Set aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir together the vanilla and espresso powder. Whisk into the chocolate/butter mixture.
Whisk in the eggs, then both sugars. Stir in the flour mixture until the flour is incorporated. Transfer dough to a bowl. Let cool a bit, then stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate at least overnight, up to 36 hours.
An hour before baking, bring the dough to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350. Scoop the dough using a 1-2 tablespoon cookie scoop. (I used a #40 here which is about 1.5 tablespoons.) Roll the dough into the sprinkles.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on cookie size, just until baked through, but still soft. Leave on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
