Chocolate Chili Crackled Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are looking for another chocolate cookie, this spicy version from McCormick might just fill the bill. This is a chocolate cookie that gets its heat from Ancho chili powder. Some love these spicy versions, some do not. This is a perfect recipe for those whose families love the heat. I must admit I prefer my chocolate straight up, but the Silver Fox really likes this version, so I'm including it here. If your family loves heat with sweet, this version of crackle cookies might be just what you are looking for. They are simple to make, store well and add something a little different to your holiday cookie tray. Here is how they are made.

Cookie Jar Cocoa Crisps

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When my children were small, the first crisp days of autumn signaled the return of soup and rising bread to my kitchen. The soup would steam the windows and the dough added a yeasty aroma to air already perfumed by the lingering scent of burning leaves. These were the the years of ginger bread and apple crisp and the making of memories that I carry still with me today. These days, the fall kitchen, replete with memory, moves into high gear when our rains begin to fall and evening temperatures plummet with the setting of the sun. Today saw the making of bread and the quick assembly of ingredients for a long simmering bean soup. I decided to make cookies rather than a cake or bread, and because I had a taste for chocolate, I decided to try a recipe for chocolate snaps that had been featured in a post on the blog Mennonite Girl's Can Cook last month. The cookies are terrific, and while they must be chilled before they are baked, they are very easy to make. These days, only two of us have our hands in the cookie jar, so I made half the recipe that appeared on their blog. Even at that, I ended up freezing half of the cookies I made. If you have not already tried this recipe, I urge you to give it a try. Here is how the cookies are made.