Many thanks to AndreainDC for sending me the recipe. They were very good and simple to make - light and crispy with a nice mocha taste. I didn't make the filling, (there's always next time), but added some semi-sweet chocolate chips to the last batch. I made very rounded tsp and baked most of them about 13 minutes for crispy cookies, and baked some of them 11 minutes for cookies with crispy edges and chewy centers. I did one batch at a time on the lower middle oven rack.
NOTE: The dough was too soft to work with, so I chilled it until it was firm enough to handle.
"These sophisticated sandwich cookies are filled with an espresso-flavored chocolate cream. Because there's instant espresso powder in the dough too, the unfilled cookies are quite nice on their own (but reduce the amount of espresso powder to 1 1/2 tsp - without the chocolate filling to balance it, the coffee flavor seems stronger)..." (Edited from "Sweet Gratitude)."
CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO SANDWICH COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch Processed) (I used Hershey's)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp instant espresso powder (use 1 1/2 tsp if not making the filling)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
Chocolate Espresso Cream Filling:
5 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
DIRECTIONS:
1. Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two baking sheets. (I used parchment paper).
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine espresso powder and vanilla in small cup and stir until espresso powder is completely dissolved.
3. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in egg, blending well. Beat in espresso mixture. (I lowered the speed, because the espresso was splattering). On low speed, beat in flour mixture in three additions.
4. Drop dough by slightly rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, (I used very rounded tsp), spacing cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. (I spaced them 2 inches apart). Bake 9-11 minutes, (I baked most at 13 minutes, others at 11 minutes - see my notes above), switching position of baking sheets halfway through baking, until edges of cookies are lightly browned but centers are still slightly soft. (For crisper cookies, bake about 2 minutes longer). Let cool on baking sheets 1-2 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
(Cookies can be stored in airtight container up to 3 days).
5. FOR THE FILLING:
Put chocolate in food processor and process until finely chopped.
Combine cream and espresso powder in small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve espresso powder.
With machine running, add cream to processor and process just until chocolate is completely melted, stopping once or twice to scrape down sides of bowl.
Transfer filling to another bowl and let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally with rubber spatula, until cooled and thickened to spreadable consistency, about 30 minutes.
6. To assemble cookies, turn half the cookies upside down and spread slightly rounded teaspoonful of filling on bottom of each one, leaving about a 1/4 inch border all around. Top with remaining cookies, right side up, and gently press together. Let stand about 30 minutes to set up filling.
(Cookies can be stored in airtight container up to 1 day).
Makes about 30 sandwich cookies
From "Sweet Gratitude"by Judith Sutton
NOTE: The dough was too soft to work with, so I chilled it until it was firm enough to handle.
"These sophisticated sandwich cookies are filled with an espresso-flavored chocolate cream. Because there's instant espresso powder in the dough too, the unfilled cookies are quite nice on their own (but reduce the amount of espresso powder to 1 1/2 tsp - without the chocolate filling to balance it, the coffee flavor seems stronger)..." (Edited from "Sweet Gratitude)."
CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO SANDWICH COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch Processed) (I used Hershey's)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp instant espresso powder (use 1 1/2 tsp if not making the filling)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
Chocolate Espresso Cream Filling:
5 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
DIRECTIONS:
1. Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two baking sheets. (I used parchment paper).
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine espresso powder and vanilla in small cup and stir until espresso powder is completely dissolved.
3. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in egg, blending well. Beat in espresso mixture. (I lowered the speed, because the espresso was splattering). On low speed, beat in flour mixture in three additions.
4. Drop dough by slightly rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, (I used very rounded tsp), spacing cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. (I spaced them 2 inches apart). Bake 9-11 minutes, (I baked most at 13 minutes, others at 11 minutes - see my notes above), switching position of baking sheets halfway through baking, until edges of cookies are lightly browned but centers are still slightly soft. (For crisper cookies, bake about 2 minutes longer). Let cool on baking sheets 1-2 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
(Cookies can be stored in airtight container up to 3 days).
5. FOR THE FILLING:
Put chocolate in food processor and process until finely chopped.
Combine cream and espresso powder in small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve espresso powder.
With machine running, add cream to processor and process just until chocolate is completely melted, stopping once or twice to scrape down sides of bowl.
Transfer filling to another bowl and let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally with rubber spatula, until cooled and thickened to spreadable consistency, about 30 minutes.
6. To assemble cookies, turn half the cookies upside down and spread slightly rounded teaspoonful of filling on bottom of each one, leaving about a 1/4 inch border all around. Top with remaining cookies, right side up, and gently press together. Let stand about 30 minutes to set up filling.
(Cookies can be stored in airtight container up to 1 day).
Makes about 30 sandwich cookies
From "Sweet Gratitude"by Judith Sutton