Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles (Vegan)

• For the topping
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• For the cookies
• 1/2 cup oil (canola is specified in the book, but any neutral oil will do)
• 1 cup sugar (I used unrefined cane sugar)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used vanilla oat milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon chocolate extract (I used more vanilla as I could not find it)
• 1 2/3 cups flour (I used spelt flour)
• 1/2 cup unsweetend cocoa powder (I think carob powder would work well, too)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or try chili powder)

1. Mix the topping ingredients on a large dinner plate. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, syrup and milk using a fork. You have to stir quite vigorously to get them all combined nicely.
3. Add the extracts.
4. In a second bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and spices). Add them to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Mix until you have a pliable dough. If it is too wet add a tad more flour, if its too dry add a tad more milk.
5. Roll the dough into balls the size of a walnut. Roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place them on a paper-lined baking sheet. Use your palm to flatten them into about 2 inch disks. In the book it says to leave at least 2 inches space between the cookies as they will spread, however mine did not spread very much.
6. Bake in the preheated oven at 180u0b0C/350u0b0F for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should crackle on top.
7. Remove from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire-rack to cool completely.

topping, sugar, ground cinnamon, cookies, oil, sugar, maple syrup, nondairy milk, vanilla, chocolate, flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, cayenne pepper

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/mexican-hot-chocolate-snickerdoodles-vegan-443974 (may not work)