Chocolate-Espresso Cookies

Hannah, our artistic baker was off today and left me fending for myself with the dessert department for Wednesday noon service. So I turned to one of my trusted cookie recipe. I could not go wrong with these scrumptious chocolate cookies: slight crunch to the bite and then intense chocolate flavor....8 dozens were not enough for our crowd today.


Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Combine:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (1.5 oz)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt

Melt:
16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Mix:
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder

Beat together:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks or 5 oz), softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)


1. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Melt chocolate in medium heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; remove from heat. Beat eggs and vanilla lightly with fork, sprinkle coffee powder over to dissolve, and set aside.

3. With a hand mixer, beat butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add melted chocolate in steady stream and beat until combined. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix!! Let dough cool so the mixture is somewhat firm.  

4. Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Leaving about 1 ½ inches between each ball, scoop dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets with 1¾-inch ice cream scoop.

5. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets about 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack.

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated