Don't confuse dark Mexican chocolate with the disks of drinking chocolate. The dark chocolate is rich and has fruity and floral flavors that, along with the cinnamon, are big parts of the Oaxacan profile. The mescal gives the cookie a bit of a smoky edge, but you won't taste the alcohol.

20 tablespoons (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 ounces light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons mescal, preferably Del Maguey Vida brand

2 ½ cups flour

13 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon

10 ½ ounces 66 percent cacao dark chocolate (preferably Mexican)

1 large egg, beaten

Sea salt, for sprinkling

Combine the butter, the sugars, salt and mescal in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed to form a creamy mixture. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and cinnamon into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Chop the chocolate into pebble-size pieces.

Use a flexible spatula to fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then fold in the chopped chocolate until well combined.

Divide the dough into two logs about 20 inches long. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for at least one hour. At this point, the dough can be refrigerated for up to two weeks; or it can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to a month.

When ready to bake, position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Grease two baking sheets with nonstick cooking-oil spray.

Cut the dough into 1-inch-thick slices and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for seven minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back and bake for seven minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and brush the tops of the cookies with the beaten egg, then sprinkle a little sea salt on each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for two minutes. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for three minutes, then transfer them to wire racks and cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Nutrition per cookie: 160 calories, 2 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 10 g sugar

Adapted from Jose Andres' Oyamel restaurant in Washington.