Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.

2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients until they are fully blended into the dough and no traces of the flour mix remain.

4. Divide the dough in two and roll each half into a log that’s 9 inches long. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight or a minimum eight hours (if you're not interested in baking the whole batch at once, the dough will keep up to six weeks in the freezer).

5. Having been frozen, the dough will require a small amount of effort to cut through. With a sharp knife, cut 1/3” cookies from the dough. Bake at 375° F for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Allow cookies to cool 30 seconds to a minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool.