Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps
Description: These Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps bring a delightful grown-up twist to the traditional cookie-tray favorite, ensuring every bite is filled with a burst of flavor. A recipe cherished from Everyday Food’s December 2003 issue, it’s been adopted and perfected, promising smiles and joy with every batch, reminiscent of joyful baking days shared with friends.
- Cook Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Recipe Category: Dessert
- Keywords: Cookie & Brownie, Christmas, Sweet, Oven, Refrigerator, < 4 Hours
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 74.2
- Fat Content: 3g
- Saturated Fat Content: 1.8g
- Cholesterol Content: 17.2mg
- Sodium Content: 43.7mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 11.6g
- Fiber Content: 0.5g
- Sugar Content: 8g
- Protein Content: 1g
Yield: 18-24 cookies
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 1/2 cup |
| Instant espresso | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Instant coffee | 4 teaspoons |
| Baking powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | 1/8 teaspoon |
| Unsalted butter | 4 tablespoons |
| Light brown sugar | 2/3 cup |
| Egg | 1 |
| Bittersweet chocolate | 4 ounces |
| Milk | 1 tablespoon |
| Powdered sugar | (for coating) |
Instructions:
-
Prepare Dry Ingredients:
- In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, instant espresso, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. This step ensures a smooth texture and even distribution of ingredients. Don’t skip the sifting process for the best results.
-
Incorporate Coffee:
- If you’re using instant coffee, ensure to press the coffee pieces through the sieve to break them into smaller grains. This helps in their total incorporation into the cookies, enhancing the rich coffee flavor.
-
Cream Butter and Sugar:
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the unsalted butter and light brown sugar until fluffy and well combined, creating a light and airy texture.
-
Add Egg and Chocolate:
- Beat in the egg until fully incorporated, then mix in the cooled bittersweet chocolate, infusing the dough with indulgent chocolatey goodness.
-
Incorporate Dry Ingredients:
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture, a little at a time. This ensures even mixing and prevents clumps in the dough.
-
Add Milk:
- Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, beat in the milk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage to maintain a tender texture.
-
Chill Dough:
- The dough will be quite wet. Flatten it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Freeze the dough until firm, which usually takes about 45 minutes. You can freeze it longer if you plan to bake the cookies later.
-
Preheat Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) in preparation for baking these delectable treats.
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Prepare Baking Sheets:
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
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Shape Dough:
- Once chilled, shape the dough into one-inch balls. As the dough is still quite sticky, rolling quickly and dusting your hands with powdered sugar between cookies will make the process smoother.
-
Coat in Powdered Sugar:
- Pour powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Working with a few cookies at a time, roll the dough balls in sugar twice, ensuring they are completely coated. This gives the cookies their signature “snowcap” appearance.
-
Bake:
- Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and the coating is cracked. The cookies will still be soft to the touch, so avoid overbaking to maintain their tender texture.
-
Cool:
- Once baked, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Allow them to cool slightly before indulging in their rich chocolatey goodness.
These Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps are a delightful addition to any holiday cookie tray or special occasion, offering a perfect balance of rich chocolate and invigorating espresso flavors in every bite. Enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee or as a sweet treat any time of day!
