Espresso Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies

I cannot remember where I first acquired this recipe, but it has been one of my favorites, and I don’t think I tweaked it much from the original.  I love the flavor of chocolate (doesn’t everyone??), and this one packs a chocolate punch, with a little something extra that appeals to the grown-ups.

Quality ingredients make a big difference here.  Using real butter and pure vanilla extract are a must, and some of my other preferences are King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, Penzey’s Natural Cocoa Powder (darker and richer than anything at the grocery store), Real Salt, and Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, which incidentally won the America’s Test Kitchen taste test for best chocolate chip.  But good old Nestle’s semisweet is my second favorite.

I always use a cookie scoop for perfectly round cookies.  Have I mentioned I’m funny that way?  For Christmas cookies, I like to use a smaller size scoop (2 tsp. size) to make small, pretty cookies.  That way you don’t feel guilty for having more than one. 

Cookie scoops come in various sizes, and I have several for variety—small cookies, regular-size cookies, and gigantic cookies.  The giant size works great for plopping out pancakes, muffins and cupcakes too.  If you don’t have any scoops, make sure you add them to your Christmas list. 

Espresso Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 T. instant espresso powder (or instant coffee powder)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda; set aside.

In small bowl stir together espresso powder, vanilla and a tablespoon of water; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and yolk; mix until incorporated. Add espresso mixture; mix well, scraping down the sides of a bowl with a spatula. At low speed, add flour mixture in small batches, mixing until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer, and stir in chocolate chips.

Using 2 tsp-size cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet.  Then with the heel of your hand, flatten each cookie ever-so-slightly so they bake more evenly.  Bake until cookies are just set, 10-12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through.  Let cookies set for a minute or two on baking sheet, then remove to cooling rack.  Repeat with remaining dough.

These cookies freeze beautifully in airtight containers, in case you’re making them in advance (or if you need to get them out of sight so you don’t eat the entire batch.) 

Be sure to enter my Homemade Cookie Giveaway if you’d like a chance at winning a dozen or so little delectables from my kitchen!

Visit the Barn Hop for some Holiday Homestead Happenings . . .