Chinese New Year Cookies: Chocolate Chili Cookies

Chocolate and chili combination is nothing new. But how many of you have actually tasted this weird and yet exciting unity? I have tested this flavour from a chocolate bar once and yet its spiciness level is just meh. No fun at all. Being Asian, chili play a huge part in my daily life. And so in this chocolate chili cookies recipe, I adjusted the chili spiciness just nice for the Asian tongue. It has the hotness at an acceptable level. It won’t burn you but will stimulate your senses!

This is the first Chinese New Year cookie I made for 2013.

Let’s start!

Using a hand mixer, beat cold butter, icing sugar and salt until salt dissolves.

Next add vanilla essence and sifted dry ingredients (cocoa powder, rice flour, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, chili powder) and beat until combined.

Note: Adjust the level of spiciness by adding or reducing the chili powder quantity.

Place dough in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Chill for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, roll dough into balls about 1.5cm diameter.

Dust fork with flour so that the dough will not stick onto the fork.

Flatten ball with fork (apply light pressure to it).

Bake at 175^oC for 10 minutes. Tsk this is the best shape for the cookie I’ve come up with coz the dough’s texture is sort of like icing. If you make intricate shape it will melt during baking. Also make sure to store these cookies in air-tight container.

Love it. Love it. Love it.

When you first bite into it, it would taste just like any other normal chocolate cookie. A second or two later, the spiciness of the chili will then appear at the back of your tongue. Now that’s what I call dangerous cookie! Haha.

Chocolate Chili Cookies
Adapted from Debbie Teoh (Flavors magazine Jan-Feb 2011)
Yields about 110 pieces

200g cold butter, cut into cubes
100g icing sugar, sifted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
25g cocoa powder, sifted
40g rice flour, sifted
120g plain flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted
3 tablespoons chili powder

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 175^oC. Grease baking trays or line trays with baking paper/silicone mat.

2. Using hand mixer or table top mixer, beat cold butter, icing sugar and salt until salt dissolves.

3. Add vanilla essence and the sifted dry ingredients (cocoa powder, rice flour, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, chili powder). Beat until well combined.

4. Place dough in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

5. Divide dough into balls about 1.5cm diameter in size and place on baking tray. Flatten the balls with a fork which has been dusted with flour each time (or else it will stick).

6. Bake for 10 minutes until firm. Place on cooling rack and store in an airtight container once cooled.

Happy baking!