Day 12: Chocolate Espresso Cookie

This year, the Savour Sisters registered to be a part of the 2012 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. It brings together an international group food bloggers to participate in a massive cookie exchange. This year the event partnered with Cookies for Kids' Cancer, with each participant making a donation in addition to their cookie contribution. In addition OXO matched our donation. A huge thank you goes to Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil, and Julie from The Little Kitchen for all their hard work in organizing this great event. I would also like to thank the fantastic bloggers that sent cookies to us, check them out:

The Goodie Girl - Halifax, NS
Sweet Twist of Fate - Toronto, NS
Gourmet Housewife - Saskatooon, SK


This was the cookie that we shipped this year.

This recipe rolls our two favorite flavours into one awesome cookie. Dark chocolate and rich espresso in the same tender bite - absolute heaven! Chocolate chunks add this brilliant gooeyness and depth. Since this dough is so rich, we make the cookies on the small side.

Keep this dough in the freezer, that way anytime you have need for a little chocolate fix you can just bake off a pan.

If you would like to take this recipe up another notch, replace the vanilla with peppermint extract. WOW!

Makes about 3 dozen.

Ingredients:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 package Starbucks Via Medium Blend instant coffee (substitute 1tablespoon of instant coffee)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the top of the double boiler melt the bittersweet chocolate.  Add the espresso powder and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large bowl,  beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add eggs and vanilla.
5. To this sugar mixture add the melted chocolate mixture, then add dry ingredients until just combined.
6. Add in chocolate chips.
7. Spoon heaped tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake 12 - 14 minutes, rotating half way through cooking. Cookies are done when edges are dry.
8. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

Note: Be careful these cookies burn easily and will turn bitter.