It all began with a book and a cookie...

It all began a little over two years ago. It was Christmas Eve and now husband, Mike, handed me a gift. I pulled back the paper to reveal a cook book. I was over-joyed and quickly began paging through. Drooling over every recipe. In awe that it was organized by season, and also included calorie counts (at the time I had been working on eating better). And while everything looked and sounded amazing one particular recipe caught my eye.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies... these words that changed my life forever.


The next day while celebrating Christmas with my family I pulled out my new cook book, eager test it out. I knew exactly what I was going to make. Mike and I got to work in the kitchen. The ingredients made us skeptical, and the dough didn't look like it would hold, but we ran with it.

What came out of the oven was something I never imagined I would taste in a cookie. It was an amazing combination of sweet and spicy. As thrilled as I was, I felt there was so much more I could do with it... My grandmothers, my mom, my aunts and even a few of my cousins had a recipe they were known for. I felt like this cookie could eventually be mine.

Over the last two years I've gone through some changes. I went from exercising to loose weight to exercising to gain strength. I went from college student to college graduate. Engaged to married. Also, I went from eating out of boxes to cooking for myself. Eating what was marketed as "healthy" to doing my own research, which lead to buying mostly organic and whole foods. It started with a simple Christmas gift and spring-boarded into a full blown passion.

Most recently I decided to give a vegetarian diet a try. Somewhat out of curiosity, and partly because I feel I could save money. Basically I wanted to challenge myself.

As I've gone through phases so too has my cookie recipe. And I am proud to say that I believe I have perfected it. So I present to you this revamped chocolate cookie:

Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie - makes 36 - 42 cookies
 • 13g (2T) flaxseed meal
•  6T water
• 240g (2c) whole wheat pastry flour
• 40g (1/2c) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2t cream of tartar
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2t sea salt
• 1T cinnamon
• 1t cayenne (more or less depending on your tolerance for heat)
• 2 sticks (1c) cold Earth Balance
• 336g (1 3/4c) raw cane sugar


Preheat the oven to 400

Mix the flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside for at least two minutes. Mix together all of the dry ingredients (flour through cayenne) in a large bowl. Combine flax mixture, earth balance and sugar in a separate bowl and beat with electric mixer on high until fluffy and smooth. Slowly beat flour mixture into sugar mixture until completely combined.

Drop tablespoon sized balls of dough onto baking sheet/stone. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on stone/cookie sheet for 15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.