Spicy Hot Chocolate Cookies

Sorry about the lack of posts lately.  It's getting to be finals time, and I've been going a little crazy.  However, I have been cooking, so I'll try to update over the next few days.  As I've already shared with you the three pies that I really liked, I will leave it at that.  Besides those, I also made a sweet potato buttermilk pie, from smittenkitchen, and an apple galette (basically, just a free-form apple pie).  If you would really like to learn how I made them, let me know.  Otherwise, I will just skip over them.  Both were excellent, but I don't really feel like posting about them right now....

So.  Today, a neighbor hosted a cookie exchange.  I'd seen the cookies I wanted to make on a website a few weeks ago, and was excited that I would finally get to make them!  They're a tad spicy, and my roommates don't really like them, but I love them.  If you're not really a spicy person, you can decrease the pepper by half, and that should be good.  I just really like the kick! they leave behind in your mouth.  Plus, they're chocolate.  Sister Brescia would be proud.

Spicy Hot Chocolate Cookies
From honest fare

For the topping:

¼ cup sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/6 t cayenne pepper

For the cookies:

¾ cup sugar

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup maple syrup

3 T milk

½ t cinnamon

¾ t cayenne pepper

2 t vanilla extract

¼ t salt

1 2/3 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 t baking soda

Directions: Preheat oven to 350.  Mix topping ingredients together on a flat plate.  Mix together sugar through salt, and then add the rest of the ingredients.  Roll into walnut-sized balls.  Roll in sugar and flatten to disks.  Bake 10 minutes.  Let cool.