These discs actually taste like mocha coffee in cookie form. They are packed with a hard-hitting coffee flavour that is mellowed down with the sugar drizzle on top, balancing the bitterness with sweetness in every bite. I used instant ground coffee here, and it worked just fine. If you have a coffee grinder, you could just as well use that, however, coffee essence or extract will not work – you need to use the real deal for the real flavour.
The resting time does sound like an awful lot of time, but without it, the dics spread instead of bake (so even though they might taste good, they won’t look pretty).
Once these cookies are baked, they are too soft to be moved, so use an offset spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to completely cool in order to avoid sogginess in the centre. This cooling step is absolutely essential in order to achieve the ideal texture. Also, before icing the cookies, make sure they have cooled first.
Makes: 20
Ingredients:
- 90g dark chocolate, chopped
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground coffee
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp salt
For the icing:
- 1 ⅓ cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp ground coffee
- 2 tbsp hot water
Method:
- Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy and then add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and melted chocolate and stir until combined and the mixture looks like a dough.
- Use your hands to form a long sausage shape and then roll it in cling film. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper and oil. Remove the dough from the fridge and slice into 1-inch-thick discs.
- Place on the baking tray and bake for 12–15 minutes, until risen a little and dry to the touch. Immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- To make the icing, mix all the ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled cookies.
Notes:
- These cookies are soft in the centre, so they won’t keep for very long. Place them in a airtight container, and they should be good for three days tops.
- The dough can be made and frozen in advance, up to three months.
- The icing isn’t necessary, but it definitely adds an intense coffee flavour.
- Ensure the oven is preheated or else the cookies will spread out too much during baking.
For Day 9’s coconut custard macaroons recipe, click here
