Double chocolate espresso cookies

Name: Double chocolate espresso cookies
Ingredients: 1½ cups (213g) all-purpose flour; ½ cup (50g) Dutch process cocoa powder; 2 tsp ground espresso; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; 14 tbsp (198g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar; ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar; 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract; ¾ tsp salt; 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk; 5 oz (142g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bite-size pieces; 2 tbsp cacao nibs (optional)

These decadent double chocolate espresso cookies are a delicious treat with a cup of tea. Alternatively, you can pair the cookies with a chocolate ice cream to make an ice cream sandwich...

Image credit: Sarah Kieffer

This recipe is from 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More by Sarah Kieffer (Chronicle Books, £21.99). Chocolatey, fruity, crispy, chewy, classic, inventive—there’s a foolproof recipe for the perfect treat for everyone in this book. If you love this tasty bake you can get the book from our online shop WITH an automatic 10% off just for being you, PLUS free UK P+P!

Tip!

For a more developed flavour, the dough can be rested for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator. Place balls of formed dough on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and cover with plastic wrap. Bake the next morning as directed, adding a little baking time (about 1 minute) to the chilled cookies. These cookies will be more plump and won’t spread as much.

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Servings

8-9 mins

Cooking Time

Ingredients

1½ cups (213g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (50g) Dutch process cocoa powder
2 tsp ground espresso
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
14 tbsp (198g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
5 oz (142g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 tbsp cacao nibs (optional)

Instructions

Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line three sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, ground espresso, baking powder, and baking soda.

Slice 4 tablespoons (57g) of the butter into four pieces, and place them in a large bowl. Melt the remaining 10 tablespoons (142g) of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the butter until it is dark golden brown and giving off a nutty aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the browned butter (and any bits of browned butter stuck to the bottom of the skillet) into the bowl with the room-temperature butter, and stir until all the butter is melted and combined. Stir in the granulated and brown sugars, vanilla, and salt with a rubber spatula, mixing until combined.

Whisk in the egg and the yolk until fully combined and the batter is smooth and glossy, about 45 seconds. Let the batter sit for 2 to 3 minutes, and then whisk again for another 45 seconds. Pour the flour mixture into the bowl and use a rubber spatula to combine (it may take a minute to incorporate all the dry ingredients). Place the chopped chocolate and cacao nibs, if using, over the dough and use your hands to knead it in until it is evenly distributed (you can use the spatula here, too, but I’ve found my hands make for quick work). The dough will be very shiny, slick, and dense, and it will take a minute to incorporate the chocolate.

Form the dough into 11/2 oz (45g) balls (2 tablespoons). Place 7 cookies on each sheet pan.

Bake the cookies one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. For soft cookies with a gooey centre, bake the cookies until the sides are set, the centres are very puffed, and the dough is still light, 8 to 9 minutes. For cookies with a crispy edge and tender centre, bake until the cookies are light golden brown around the edges and the centres are still slightly puffed, 9 minutes. For cookies with a crisp edge and firm centre, bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and the centres have begun to collapse, 10 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then move the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.