New Beginnings, a Birthday, and Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies, #LetsLunch

Mexican hot chocolate cookies. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Let me begin by saying "Happy 5th Birthday, A Cook and Her Books!" It's been a long time since that snowy day in January 2008 when I decided to put pixel to screen and write down the stories and recipes that have floated through my brain lo these many years. Five hundred something stories later, I still feel like I have a few more to tell.

And so I find myself with a #LetsLunch post to write on the subject of New Beginnings, so right for January. Here in North Georgia, we go back and forth between real winter and mild winter. This weekend, daytime highs are expected to be in the 70s. And so the New Year begins with new growth - I stepped out of my car this afternoon and saw the first of the crocus pips, ready to shoot through the green fuse for an early spring.

Spring was on my mind five years ago,when  in that inaugural post, I shared a recipe for lemon curd-filled coconut macaroon tarts, a recipe that I first made from a Dixie Crystals newsletter 20 years prior. This year, I'll celebrate with five-ingredient cookies inspired by a recipe my teen daughter found on Pinterest. A lot of Nutella, an egg and flour, plus sugar for rolling and a heaping helping of cinnamon, for a treat we call Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies. The chocolate and cinnamon give these super-simple cookies a bit of Mexican flair. A pinch of chili powder would do the trick, too.

Mexican hot chocolate cookies. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 1 dozen 2-inch

1 cup Nutella
3/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar for dusting

1. Heat oven to 350. In a bowl, use a sturdy wooden spoon or your favorite stirring utensil to mix together Nutella, flour, the egg and cinnamon.

2. Pour sugar into a small bowl. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop up dough and shape into balls. Coat the balls in sugar. Place on a lined cookie sheet. Press dough balls with the flat of your hand.

3. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Let cool briefly on cookie sheet, then remove them to cool on a wire rack. Best when eaten warm from the oven, but still pretty darn good at room temp. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

This post is part of #LetsLunch, a monthly Twitter party on a given food subject. January's theme is New Beginnings. To join in the fun, follow #LetsLunch and jump in!

Grace’s Matcha Green Tea Yogurt at Hapa Mama
Jill’s Heavenly Angel Cake at Eating My Words
Lucy’s Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies at A Cook and Her Books
Lisa’s Da Bombe Alaska at Monday Morning Cooking  Club
Linda‘s Trinidadian Black-eyed Peas  at Spicebox Travels
Nancie’s Vietnamese-style Chicken with Lemongrass at NancieMcDermott
Rashda’s Parathas at Hot Curries and Cold Beer 
Sonja’s Beetroot and Fetta Varenyky at Foodnutzz
Pat's Vietnamese Spring Rolls at Asian Grandmother's Cookbook 
Glass of Fancy Brown Butter Greens

Text and images copyright 2013, Lucy Mercer.

Lemon Glazed Cookies



Lemon Glazed Lemon Cookies by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 It's easier to bake in the summer than the colder months. I know that sounds strange, but with the busy-ness of the school year, baking projects tend to be rushed and compartmentalized, without the spontaneous "gee, I think I'll bake cookies today" moments that I love. So, even though it heats up the house, we're baking cookies today - the homemade slice and bake kind. And they're lemon - which is turning out to be my theme ingredient this year - lemon glazed tea loaves, lemon ice cream, lemon pound cake, lemon pudding...


Glazed Lemon Cookies


adapted from Susan Purdy's The Family Baker

Yield: about 40 cookies

Cookie dough

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Glaze

3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. For the cookies: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and well blended. Beat in the egg, lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Scrape down the bowl and beater and add flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and baking soda, beating everything together until fully incorporated.

2. Dust a countertop with a small amount of flour and turn dough out. Knead lightly and shape into a log. I like a square cookie, so I square the edges. You can divide the dough into two logs, if that works better for your refrigerator. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. You can also double wrap the dough logs, place in a freezer container, label and freeze for up to 2 months. If using frozen dough, set out on counter while the oven preheats, to make the dough easier to slice.

3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper. Place cookie dough log on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice 1/4-inch slices. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 or until the cookies are a light golden brown on the edges. While cookies are baking, make glaze by combining lemon juice, confectioners' sugar and lemon zest. Use a spatula to gently remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack set over wax paper or foil (to catch drips) to cool slightly. Use a brush to spread glaze on cookies while they're still warm. Let cookies dry and place them in airtight containers for storage.  It's a good idea to put parchment paper or waxed paper between the layers of cookies.