Spicy chocolate cookies

What is one supposed to do, home alone, with a broken knee? I wouldn't know because I never had a broken bone before, but I'm slowly learning to make the time go by a little faster and savor each daily activity like it's a treat. It helps a bunch that it takes me a good five minutes to put leggings on without bending the wounded knee and that after I'm done I kinda have to sit down and catch my breath as if I were ninety. But other than dressing myself and flipping through magazines at an alarmingly low speed I had to find something else to do to occupy my weekend. So I invited (begged) my mom to come over and make my Christmas tree while I sat next to it drinking spiked hot cider and giving her directions. While she worked on the tree I played Christmas music and went through the December issue of Cooking Light, trying to figure out what we are going to cook on the Eve for dinner and on the big day for lunch. Of course there were far too many good recipes to decide there and then, but in the mean time I bumped into these Mexican chocolate cookies, read the recipe twice and decided it was worth a try. So as soon as she was done decorating my tree I wobbled into the kitchen and we made the cookies, using Lindt chili chocolate instead of regular chocolate because, around here, we like everything spicy, including our cookies. They turned out delicious. They are light enough that you can eat more than one (or two or three), yet they are rich in flavor and go extremely well with coffee.

SPICY CHOCOLATE COOKIES
(adapted from Cooking Light)

5 ounces chili or bittersweet (60 to 70 percent) chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place chocolate in a small glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper); stir with a whisk.

Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg; beat well. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla; beat just until blended. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Drop dough by level tablespoons 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until almost set. Remove from oven. Cool on pans 2 minutes or until set. Remove from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.