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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23 comments:
These cookies look divine. I am a coffee addict and I am sure I'd fall in love with them at the first bite.
I love not so sweet treats and with the coffee flavor!!... these sound fantastic.
Oh, this is so my kind of cookie!
wonderful! - especially with a nice cup of coffee(!)
don't have my perfect LBD yet, but I do have already the cookie! ;)
I btw added you to my yummy-list...hope that's ok! =)
Ooooh, I'm just as crazy about coffee as you are! These look SO good, I want a bite right now with my cup of coffee!
So these sound like heaven without the cup and perfect just as they are. Why then do I keep seeing one dipped into chocolate?
Excellent Mary!!
Yummy. Being a Seattle girl, I love my espresso.
Wow, how perfect do your cookies look! Well done Mary, your creations just get better and better.
An espresso lover just like me!
Beautiful cookies, Mary!
Another coffee addict here. Yesterday, as I was grinding beans for espresso I thought about another recipe that called for espresso powder. What is espresso powder and where do I get it? I can't wait to make these cookies!
I'm a former resident of the Outer Sunset and miss it so sometimes.
Helene, Dianka, Peabody & Ivonne - These are definitely made for coffee addicts!
Ashley - The coffee flavor really shines without all that sweetness.
Julia - Of course it's okay and keep looking for your perfect LBD!
Tanna - Glad you're back!
Jenjen - Most of the time my cookie logs end up a bit flat on one side. But I tried my best to make it round this time.
Vanessa - I used instant espresso powder which is usually near the instant coffee at the supermarket. Sometimes you can find it in Italian markets too.
Right before I read your email I was having inertia problems getting my lazy bum away from the internet to make some espresso, but you just provided me with the impetus to get in in the kitchen and make some cookies, right now!
Wow...these look great. I'm looking for a cookie swap recipe, and I think these will be perfect. About how many do you get from these amounts of ingredients? Can't wait!
Anon - The espresso cookies would be great for a cookie swap. This recipe yields 28 cookies.
These look great! What is espresso powder?
Biking AL - Thanks! Espresso powder is similar to instant coffee granules. The espresso powder is just stronger.
Thank you for sharing and posting this! I plan on making these this weekend for my cookie swap!
I am making these for my girlfriend and I. I hope that I can convince her to add them to the menu of her barista.
I have been making these for a few months now, and they are great. I have been subbing the espresso beans with a ton of instant decaf and hot water (only Nescafe, the other two major brands are garbage), and I do not measure the flour: I add it until the mixer starts slowing. These cookies are amazing, especially if you do not like the widely available margarine/sugar bombs. Thank you for sharing all these recipes.
mmm! I left out the espresso beans, doubled the instant espresso, added 2 tbsp cocoa powder, didn't measure sugar just added to taste, dusted with powdered sugar.
thanks for the delicious recipe!!
Hi, no eggs in this recipe, correct?
Anonymous on 11/30/2009 - Correct, there are no eggs in this recipe.
Is it super important for them to chill at least 6 hours? I'm impatient and want to bake them faster!
The chilled rest will allow the gluten to relax so that the cookies will hold its shape when baking. But if you're in a hurry, try to chill it for at least 30 minutes.
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