The Secret To Complex Chocolate Cookies Is A Popular Mexican Pepper

While there's no denying the yumminess of a good, simple chocolate chip cookie, there are plenty of easy ways to elevate them that pack an extra punch of delicious and unique flavor. Food Republic reached out to Audra Fullerton, head recipe developer and baking expert at The Baker Chick for the secret ingredient to a complex batch of cookies. The answer — ancho chilies. 

When creating her cookies, she says, "I'd add in a touch of ancho chili to the butter mixture for just a touch of spice." This particular chile is the perfect complement to cookies due to its varying undertones and tasting notes. Ancho chiles are quite complex and known for their subtly sweet flavors reminiscent of stone fruit — like plums. It's why drinks like Mexican hot chocolate make such a complimentary and delicious pairing that enhances the overall flavors of the cocoa. 

Furthermore, it adds a light smoky taste and a slightly bitter flavor that mimics chocolate in the cookie dough. For an even mix into the butter, use ancho chile powder. As a general rule of thumb, you can use a small pinch of the chile powder for a light touch of complexity, but don't use more than two teaspoons of chile powder per batch of cookies to avoid overpowering the cookies.

Audra Fullerton also explains another way to incorporate ancho chile flavor. She says, "... you can also make an ancho "caramel" by blending 2 [tablespoons] of butter, 1 [tablespoon] of brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of ancho chili." This way, the cookies have decadent pops of flavor. Fullerton recommends bakers "swirl this into the cookie dough for a spicy touch." Take this chile-speckled caramel cookie and press the dough into a cast iron pan to make a skillet chocolate chip cookie perfect for topping with simple vanilla ice cream. 

The creaminess and sweet ice cream balance the heat of the peppers. Meanwhile, the warm, lightly spiced cookie enhances the melted chocolate for the perfect bite. Another idea is to find chocolate that has chilies in it, like a chili dark chocolate bar that you can chop up before adding to your cookie dough. This is great if you're having difficulty finding the right chili powder or simply want to confine the spice to the chocolate pieces in the cookies rather than interlacing it throughout the dough.