Holiday Cookies

Milk Chocolate Espresso Cookies

From Washington Post – Makes 40 Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 c. (225 g) flour
• 11 tbsp. (77 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (not Dutch-process)
• 3 tbsp. (16.8 g) plus 1 tbsp. (5.6 g) instant espresso powder
• 2 tsp. (5.4 g) baking powder
• 11 1/2 tbsp. (scant 1 1/2 sticks; 167 g) unsalted butter at room temp
• About 1 c. (200 g) plus 1/2 c. (113 g) sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 14 oz milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:
For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.Combine the flour, cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons of the instant espresso powder and the baking powder in a medium bowl; whisk to mix well.Combine the butter and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low, then add the flour mixture; beat until almost all streaks of flour are gone. Stop the mixer to add the milk chocolate chunks; beat on low speed until just combined.

For sprinkling: Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the remaining tablespoon of instant espresso powder in a shallow bowl; mix well.

Scoop the dough into mounds (about 1 tablespoon), then dip or roll them in the sugar-espresso mixture. Place them 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Bake one sheet at time for 10 minutes, until the cookies are softly set, then cool completely (still on the sheet) on a wire rack. Repeat as needed to use all the dough.

Note: All ingredients can be found at Wegman’s! We made our cookies a little bigger and made 33 cookies. The cookies have a stronger flavor the second day. Sorry there aren’t more pictures — these didn’t last long!