Chocolate Espresso Cookies From Martha Stewart

This is an old recipe for Chocolate Espresso Cookies originally sent to me by a friend in Manhattan. The cookies are good, but I've made some edits to make them better including clarifying how much espresso (it's stronger now), and making the butter measurement less awkward since I originally had it listed as 1 ½ sticks ¾ cup. It's the same amount either way, 170 grams.

Here's an old photo. They are about medium thickness.

First Batch With Shortening

I made these twice. First, after realizing I was out of butter, I made them with butter flavored shortening. I was not happy with the results because they tasted a little too chalky. I blamed it on the shortening, but it could have been that I was too heavy handed with the flour. Be sure so either weigh the flour or aerate it well and spoon it into the cup.

All Butter for the Win

The second batch, which I made with butter, was excellent. I followed Martha's directions precisely and used Lindt 70% chocolate.

Cookies, Not Fudge Dough

The cookies are rich, but unlike some of my other chocolate cookie recipes, taste more like actual cookies that chocolate baked into cookie form. Given that, the dough makes an excellent binder for adding as much chocolate as you want. It also lets the flavor of the dark chocolate stand out, so it's worth using the good stuff here.

Cocoa Powder Chemistry

One more thing, I used natural cocoa and the cookies rose very well. You might be able to use Dutch process cocoa, but you wouldn't get the same leavening action. Also, the more subtle flavor of the natural cocoa added more contrast with the huge chunks of Lindt.

Amount of Espresso Powder

Espresso powder is stronger now, so if you are using something like King Arthur brand, 1 tablespoon should be more than enough. If using coffee crystals or instant granules, 1 tablespoon will be mild and 2 tablespoons will add a kick. But even instant coffee has changed in the past 20 years, so results could vary. My recommendation would be 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder for just a flavor kick and 1 tablespoons for a real espresso punch.

• Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
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Recipe

Chocolate Espresso Cookies From Martha Stewart

Anna

Chocolate Espresso Cookies are large, double chocolate cookies with a fairly strong coffee flavor. If you don't have espresso powder, you can use instant coffee crystals instead.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Dough Chilling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (260 grams)
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (40 grams)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (170 grams)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200 grams)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped

Instructions

 

• Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
• In a small bowl or custard cup, stir together espresso powder, vanilla, and a tablespoon of water; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and yolk; mix until incorporated. Add espresso mixture; mix well, scraping down the sides of a bowl with a spatula.
• Stirring with a large spoon, add the flour mixture gradually stirring until fully blended. If you are using a stand mixer or a hand held mixer with a very low speed setting, you can use that.
• Stir in chocolate chunks.
• Line a couple of dinner plates with plastic wrap. Using a ¼ cup measure or a large cookie scoop, scoop heaping balls of dough onto plastic. Cover and chill for 2 hours or until ready to bake.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place scoops of dough about 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and bake until cookies are set, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and slide parchment paper off the baking sheet.

Notes

Espresso powder is great, but I often have packets of instant coffee around and use that instead. 2 packets (or about 1 tablespoon total) gives enough coffee flavor for us. Using 2 tablespoons of espresso will give you a stronger coffee flavor. I also chill the dough before baking.

Keyword Chocolate Espresso, Double Chocolate Cookies, Martha Stewart

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