Back to the Land of the Living

Ugh. I've been so sick. Finally, though, I am feeling better. The diagnosis from Mom the Nurse is that I had the Flu. Yippee. Time to go get that Flu shot I've been putting off. I don't want a repeat performance of this one, if I can help it.

I started feeling much better Friday, so I jumped back into my "routine" of cooking and baking, because I'm a bit behind at this point. The recipe I would like to share today is called Mexican Hot Chocolate Balls. It is from the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine from this year. It is a good cookie--not what you'd expect from a cookie, so if you're looking for something a little different and really good, I'd recommend it. It's a hard cookie with a lot of flavors, chocolate and cinnamon and pecans. Usually when I think holiday cookie, I think soft and chewy or hard like a sugar cookie or gingerbread. This is a little harder than that and the flavor is a little more "exotic" and not too sweet. In fact, most of the sugar is on the outside of the cookie. They are delicious! So, without further ado:

Mexican Hot Chocolate Balls

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and the vanilla until combined, scraping the side of the bowl occasionally. Bet in as much flower as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the pecans.

2. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

3. Combine remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar, remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll cooled cookies in the sugar mixture. Makes 48.

Enjoy, my friends!