Chocolate-Dipped Masa Galletas
Although not a traditional recipe, these delicious cookies are a tribute to the panaderias and hot chocolate factories of Oaxaca, where the mingled scents of baked goods, fresh masa corn tortillas and chocolate is simply intoxicating.
Ingredients
Cookies:
12 Tbsp. butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of sea salt
1 1/4 cup masa harina (see note)
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 gluten-free flour mix
Dipping Chocolate:
2 tsp. unrefined coconut oil
1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp. each ground Mexican cinnamon (canela), ground cardamom, and allspice
Pinch of cayenne
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, then vanilla and salt. Thoroughly beat in masa harina, then flour, scraping down sides as you go to form a cohesive dough.
Spoon out dough to form one-and-a-half-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet with a few inches space between. With wetted hands, place your index, middle and ring fingers flat over each cookie and gently press into about a 3-inch circle. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until golden and starting to brown just a bit on the edges and ridges. Let cool on racks.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt coconut oil with the chocolate and spices, stirring occasionally. Once melted, turn off the heat and let sit over the warm water until cookies are cool enough to handle.
Dip each cookie halfway into the chocolate and set aside on a piece of parchment. Let cool completely to avoid sticking, then store in an airtight container in a cool place.
Suggestions
Author's note: Ok, so this isn’t a traditional recipe but one I’ve morphed over the years as a tribute to the panaderias and hot chocolate factories of Oaxaca, where I spent a lot of time while studying abroad in Mexico in my youth. The scent of these cookies is pure nostalgia to me. Walking through those streets among the mingled scents of baked goods, fresh masa corn tortillas and chocolate was simply intoxicating and remains one of my favorite memories.
A NOTE ON MASA HARINA FLOUR: Masa harina is corn that is soaked and cooked with lime, or calcium hydroxide. This is an ancient Aztec process, called nixtamalization, that renders corn more digestible and nutritious than its naked form. Please do seek out masa harina flour for this recipe, as it lends a distinct flavor and aroma not achievable by plain cornmeal. Maseca is a brand easy to find in the Mexican section of most grocery stores, and Bob’s Red Mill also makes it. Make some homemade tortillas or sopes or arepas with the leftover masa harina!
More Recipes by This Author
Edible in your mailbox
