COFFEE & COOKIES!

I do believe I am the queen,
Of that thing they call the bean.

Not legumes with rice you eat,
But the beans you grind and heat.

One thing you should know ’bout me,
I live for super strong coffee.

Espresso, latte, three shot, four,
I’ll go back for even more.

Some might call it muddy rot-gut,
To this I must strongly re-but.

Not only does it taste supreme,
It gives me energy extreme.

Chocolate is my treasured love,
There is no food I love above.

White or milk or bitter-sweet,
My meal is never quite complete,

Without a chocolate bite to nibble.
(Alright. Devour – let’s not quibble.)

Now marry chocolate with the bean,
And things will start to get obscene.

I baked a shortbread cocoa treat,
With espresso bought from Peet.

If you try to take a bite,
With me you will have to fight.

This combo I don’t like to share,
It’s truly my own love affair.

But try this simple recipe,
And I know you will agree.

This coffee-chocolate combination,
Is quite the epicurean sensation.

I love this cookie recipe! It is easy, delicious and a new family favorite.  This recipe is adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, “Baking – From my home to yours.” If you enjoy baking, this is an excellent book to have on hand. I have made a few minor changes to the original recipe – I used salted instead of unsalted butter and, instead of instant espresso, I used fresh brewed espresso.

RECIPE

1 T. espresso

2 sticks butter (room temperature)

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 3/4 cup chocolate chips (preferably mini)

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Make sure espresso is room temperature. Set aside.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso. With the mixer on low, add the flour and beat only until the flour disappears into the dough. This dough should not be over-worked. Fold in the chocolate with a spatula.

Transfer the dough to a gallon-size zip lock plastic bag. Lay the bag on a flat surface and with the top open, roll the dough out until it is about 1/4′ thick. Try not to let the plastic crease the dough. Press out all of the air from the bag, zip the top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Position the oven racks so that the oven is divided into thirds.

Place the plastic bag of dough on a cutting board and slice or cut it with scissors so that only the dough remains. Cut even squares and set them on your lined cookie sheet. With the tines of a fork, prick each cookie all the way through two times.

Bake for 18-20 minutes rotating the sheet from top to bottom rack and front to back at the midway point. The cookie should not have much color. Transfer to a rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar. Dorie’s recipe makes about 32 cookies but mine never does. I may cut them a little too wide but they are still delicious!