Mexican chocolate cookies

six ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder (or 4 tsp. regular chili powder)
2 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Combine butter and chocolate in a double boiler; simmer until melted,
stirring occasionally.  Or microwave chocolate til partly melted, add
butter and microwave some more til all melted.

Add chocolate mixture to sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla after cool
enough not to cook them.  Mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon,
chili powder, and black pepper; add to chocolate mixture and stir.
Put in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll cookies into balls, "about walnut sized",
roll in cinnamon sugar.  Bake for about 15 minutes.












Note: if no chili powder on hand, make it thusly:

1 tbs cayenne pepper
5 tbs cumin powder
1 tbs oregano
2 tbs basil
1 tbs salt
1 tbs garlic powder

(Obviously this will make more than 4 teaspoons!  Make some chili afterwards!)