Mexican Mocha Cookies

One of my exchange daughters and I were discussing what we refer to as my cookie project (well before I started this blog) and quickly came to the intuitive conclusion that coffee traditions are everywhere. It wasn’t something I hadn’t thought of before, but in my efforts to honor my exchange kids’ experiences with cookies, I never really considered embracing it.

Coffee is both a run-of-the-mill pick-me-up and a highly personal routine. But through a global lens, it’s much bigger. Coffee has a storied history—coffeehouses sparked political movements in Europe, ceremonial traditions in the Middle East, and countless local rituals throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Every culture seems to have found its own way to make a cup of coffee feel like home.

That conversation changed how I approached this cookie. Mexican mocha isn’t just a mix of chocolate, cinnamon, and espresso. They may be ingredients familiar in America, but they all have unique origins and went through extraordinary journeys to get here. Mexico may not have been the birthplace of coffee, but today it is part of both the country’s agricultural heritage and its café culture, where chocolate and cinnamon have long been natural companions.

Sometimes the best lessons from cultural exchange aren’t about discovering something completely unfamiliar. They’re about learning to see an everyday ingredient with fresh eyes.

Mexican Mocha Chip Cookie

Recipe by Sarah

0.0 from 0 votes

Difficulty: Easy

Yield

4

dozen

Prep time

15

minutes

Baking time

10

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Instant espresso powder

• A few drops Hot water

• 1 cup Butter

• 1 cup Light brown sugar

• 1/2 cup Sugar

• 4 teaspoons Cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

• 2 Eggs

• 2 teaspoons Vanilla

• 2 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons Flour

• 1 tablespoon Cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 1 1/2 cups Chocolate chips

Directions

• Mexican Mocha Chip Cookie Dough
• Heat some water and add a few drops to 2 tablespoons of instant espresso. Stir and let cool.
• Cream together butter, sugars, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until just mixed.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. If the dough is too sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until a soft, manageable dough forms.
• Optionally, chill the dough for a few hours.
• Assembly
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, and place on a lined baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
• Bake on the middle rack for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.