These rich sandwich cookies are inspired by Latin America's two treasured dessert traditions - spicy, bittersweet chocolate drinks made from crushed cacao beans, chilies and spices, and dulce de leche, a decadent filling. Combined together with a buttery cookie dough, these exotic flavors and alluring textures earn this cookie its name, Noche Buena, or good night.

Shopping notes:
For the best chocolate flavor, look for bittersweet chocolate with a minimum of 60 percent cocoa solids.
Dulce de leche is available near the canned milk at Latin markets and many supermarkets. To make your own from condensed milk, see this recipe at milk.com.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with oven racks in upper and lower thirds.

2. Sift or whisk together flour, cocoa, chili powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl until combined. Set aside.

3. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy.

4. Add egg yolks, coffee liqueur (or coffee), and vanilla, beating well, scraping down the sides after each addition. Mix in the cooled chocolate.

5. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until combined well.

6. Drop batter by rounded teaspoons 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with ground almonds. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until cookies are puffed up and dry looking around the edges, 8 to 10 min. Transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool.

7. Continue with the remaining dough, making sure to let the baking sheets cool between batches.

8. To fill the cookies; spread 1/2 teaspoon of dulce de leche on the flat side of a cookie, top with a second cookie to form a sandwich. Fill remaining cookies in the same manner.

9. Dust with additional cocoa powder and a sprinkle of cinnamon, ground almonds and/or chili powder.