I promised you this recipe yesterday, teasing you with the Espresso Buttercream filling.
On a scale of 1 to 10, this is approaching 14. I’ve only had a couple of cookies that were as good. I’ve never ever had anything betters And I’m over 50.
This sandwich cookie comes from Stuffed by Heather Mubarak. We got this book a month ago. We have a special shelf for the go-to books. We don’t even put this book on the shelf. It is just out on the counter to use and use. Suzi makes some of the cookies here for Meals on Wheels. The cookies, sans filling, are themselves ideal. However, I beg, I whine, and she’s actually making the full sandwich version for me.
“I am not a cookie person,” she says to me. Then she takes another bite. She won’t ever be a cookie monster I suppose, but she’s on her way to being a cookie person.
My review of Stuffed will appear tomorrow.
On to the cookie. This recipe, while not hard, does demand your attention. See this crackled top?
Well to get the just perfectly, because as Heather writes:
“To get the shiny, crackled tops on the cookies, it is important to measure and prepare all the ingredients in advance so that you can work quickly once you begin. You will also need to bake all the cookies immediately after the dough is made. If you chill the dough, the crinkle top will not look the same after being baked, but the cookies will still taste delicious.”
She means it. We baked two sheets consecutively and the second one did not have the same ideal crinkles. Pretty, but not the same. Furthermore, when you have made the batter, it will appear a bit runny. We were worried and discussed what we might do. In the three minutes or so of our pause, the batter began to tighten up and baked perfectly. No spreading. Keep that in mind when you make these. Have confidence.
The Espresso Buttercream recipe was blogged yesterday and you can follow the link. Finger-licking nirvana.
On to the Espresso Buttercream. It is simple to describe. It is perfect. Ideal for this cookie but, golly, it can be used so many ways. As a frosting for brownies. As a little dab on the end of chocolate wafers. It is sweet but not overpoweringly so. There is espresso flavor, but, again, it’s not going to dominate. Just make you very happy. You can wait for the cookie recipe tomorrow, or you can go ahead, make this buttercream and enjoy it anyway you like.
Coffee Lover’s Cookies
Yield: 12 sandwich cookies
Ingredients:
- 1cups [225 g] semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup [113 g] unsalted butter
- ¾ cup [95 g] all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup [20 g] Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- or espresso powder
- % cup [130 g] granulated sugar
- ½ cup [100 g] light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
- 1 recipe Espresso Buttercream for assembly
Preparation:
Adjust the oven racks so that you can cook two baking sheets at the same time (one rack in the top third of the oven and one in the bottom third of the oven) and preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Create a double boiler by filling a medium saucepan with 2 to 3 in [5 to 7.5 cm] of water. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Place a heatproof bowl over the pan, making sure that the bowl does not touch the water below. Add the chocolate chips and butter and cook, stirring often. Do not overheat.
While the chocolate is melting, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
When the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth, quickly stir in the instant coffee. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. When removing the bowl, be careful not to let any of the steam or water from the saucepan touch the chocolate mixture.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs and mix with a hand mixer on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla and mix for 20 to 30 seconds on medium-high speed, or until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix for about 10 seconds, until just combined. Use a sturdy spatula to give the batter a couple more turns to incorporate all the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick like brownie batter.
Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, place about 12 leveled scoops of batter on each of the prepared baking sheets. They will spread slightly in the oven, so allow about 2 in [5 cm] between each cookie.
Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake for 9 to 10 minutes. The tops of the cookies will be crackled and shiny. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes before adding the filling.
TO ASSEMBLE THE COOKIE SANDWICHES
Transfer the Espresso Buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large tip. Flip half of the cookies over so they’re flat-side up. Pipe 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling onto the flat side of the flipped-over cookies. Top each with a second cookie, flat-side down, and gently press together to form a sandwich.
These cookies are best eaten on the day they are made. [Heather says this, not me.]
Source: Stuffed by Heather Mubarak [2023]