Cocoa Cinnamon Chile Bars

For Cinco de Mayo, a holiday primary celebrated in the USA it turns out, I decided to try and create a recipe for a dessert item for our pseudo-Mexican dinner tonight.  I was inspired by a gift of Kaokao cinnamon cocoa discs that a friend gave me after visiting Central America as well as the chocolate wafer cake used to test the Equal Exchange baking cocoa this past weekend.  The results are below.

Cocoa Cinnamon Chile Bars
Created by TammyJo Eckhart

Ingredients:
2 cups water
5.15oz Kaokao Cinnamon Cocoa Discs
1/2 stick Crisco Baking Sticks, Butter Flavor
1/2 cup brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup sugar substitute
1/4 cup egg substitute/egg white
1 tsp real vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cocoa chile powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2.5 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil then dissolve the cocoa discs in that water.  Set aside to cool down to room temperature.

2. Pre-heat oven to 325°F and grease or no-stick spray a glass 13" X 9" X 2" pan.

3. Beat together Crisco and sugar substitutes.  Add in egg whites and vanilla and beat again.

4. Add in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa chile powder and blend thoroughly.

5. Add in dissolved cocoa and flour by alternating between the two evenly. You will have to scrape the sides of your bowl and make sure it all blends well. The batter will be wet and easy to pour.

6. Pour batter into your glass pan and bake for 30 minutes; the toothpick test should come out clean before you take it out of the oven.




7. Set on cooling rack to cool for at least an hour before trying to cut.







Results:
About 25 minutes into baking there was a very strong scent of cocoa, cinnamon, and chile that infused my home.  It was great and I prayed it would taste as cool as it smelled.


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