Espresso Cookies

I love coffee and I love espresso. I guess you can say I am an addict. Although on most days, I’ll only drink about 8 ounces of coffee. But on those especially trying mornings, I will forgo the coffee and have a latte with 2 shots of espresso (flat with soy milk, please). And I’ve been having a lot of those mornings lately. But it’s nothing that a little-bit-o-latte-love can’t cure! (And, yes, I know this is some form of self-medication.) Needless to say, putting espresso into a cookie is a very exciting proposition. (And no, I’m not excited because of all the caffeine. Well, maybe just a little.)

This espresso cookie is my idea of cookie perfection. I love the sandy texture and the pure flavor of the espresso. It might be somewhat strong for the coffee shy and not sweet enough for those with a super sweet tooth, but those are major pluses in my opinion.

There’s nothing flashy about this espresso cookie. There are no bells and whistles. But that’s the point. It’s straightforward and sophisticated, like that perfect little black dress in your closet. Black can be a bit harsh sometimes, but there’s no denying that the dress is elegant and classic. Just like this cookie.



Espresso Cookies
(adapted from Fine Cooking)
makes 28 cookies

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp espresso powder dissolved in 2 tsp water
1 tsp finely ground espresso beans
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt

Cream the butter and sugar until well blended. Mix in the dissolved espresso powder. Add the ground espresso beans, flour and salt and mix until dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic to help form the dough into a log about 7-inches long. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the chilled dough into 1/4-inch slices and arrange on parchment lined sheet pans. Bake until the tops look dry and edges just start to brown, about 12 minutes.

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PS: This would be a nice addition to a holiday cookie swap.
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