Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies -- The Sweet Side of a New Mexico Kitchen

Back in Denver. Second week of January. The house is back to its regular rhythm after sixteen days in New Mexico — lunches packed, school calendars up, the kettle on the grill covered in plastic because the January temperatures require it. I'm in the facility every day now: recruiting calls, spring program planning, film from last season. The work of building the next year starts immediately when the current year ends. There is no true offseason. There's just the offseason, which is the season with different work.

I've been thinking about this past season a lot. We went 9-1, made the semifinals, lost by seven on a call I would do differently. That's the season. I believe the team we're building will make the championship. I believe that not because I'm optimistic by nature, though I am, but because the evidence supports it: we have the right pieces, the right culture, the right quarterback in the freshmen class. You don't say these things out loud. You just go to work and let the evidence accumulate.

Made carne adovada this week — the real version, pork shoulder cubed and marinated overnight in red chile, cumin, garlic, oregano, then slow-braised for three hours. Served over rice with fried eggs and warm flour tortillas. This is the dish that Lisa identified as the moment she knew she'd fully crossed over from a woman who ate New Mexican food to a woman who needed it. She had it the first time at Christmas at my parents' house in 2006 and she called me the next morning from Colorado Springs to ask for the recipe. I did not have the recipe — my mother never writes anything down. I eventually extracted it through observation over five years. Lisa makes a version now that is arguably better than mine, which I say with the mix of pride and defeat appropriate to the situation.

Diego starts fourth grade in the fall. At ten, he's in the window where the next few years will set the pattern for the rest of his childhood. I'm thinking about how to coach him right — as a father, not as a coach, which requires different instincts and which I'm still developing. I didn't have a father who coached me. I had a father who supported me and showed up. I'm trying to figure out what the coaching version of that looks like.

The carne adovada was the anchor of the week —the dish that takes time and intent —but once it was done and the kitchen had settled, I wanted to make something for Diego. Something small and sweet that still carried the same flavor notes: the warmth of cinnamon, the depth of dark chocolate, the particular combination that shows up in New Mexican baking the same way red chile shows up in everything else. These Mexican chocolate shortbread cookies come from that same pantry, that same instinct. They’re the quieter side of the same culinary story, and Diego ate four of them before dinner.

Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 14 minutes | Total Time: 34 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling) | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 oz Mexican chocolate (such as Abuelita or Ibarra), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, for rolling

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne (if using), and salt until evenly combined.
3. Combine and add chocolate. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Fold in the chopped Mexican chocolate with a spatula or wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
4. Shape and chill. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a log approximately 2 inches in diameter. Roll the log in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat the outside. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
5. Preheat and slice. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough log from the refrigerator and slice into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake. Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look dry. The cookies will be soft when they come out —they firm up as they cool. Do not overbake.
7. Cool and serve. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 148 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 35mg