Before you start
Most recipes use espresso powder as a background note. These use it as a flavour: enough that the cookie actually tastes of coffee, the way a good tiramisu does. Coffee and dark chocolate flatter each other shamelessly, and a scatter of flaky salt ties the whole thing to the saucer. Best eaten with, naturally, coffee.
Everything you need
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (6 g) espresso powder
- 1 + 1 egg, plus 1 yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- 1¼ cups (213 g) dark chocolate, in chunks
- flaky salt, to finish
Weigh, don't scoop. Measuring flour by cups can overpack it and dry out your bake. Tap any ingredient to open its converter.
Method
-
Whisk the espresso powder into the warm melted butter so it dissolves completely. This blooms the coffee the way hot water blooms it in a cafetière.
For this step
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp (6 g) espresso powder
-
Whisk in both sugars for a minute, then the egg, yolk and vanilla, whisking until glossy.
For this step
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
-
Fold in the flour, baking soda and salt, then the chocolate chunks.
For this step
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- 1¼ cups (213 g) dark chocolate
- flaky salt
-
Chill the dough 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line two trays.
-
Scoop 18 balls, space them widely, and bake one tray at a time for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and golden and the middles soft.
-
Scatter with flaky salt the moment they leave the oven, and rest on the tray for 10 minutes.
For this step
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- flaky salt
Baker's tips
- Espresso powder, not ground coffee. Ground beans don't dissolve and bake into grit. Instant espresso melts completely into the butter.
- For a mocha crumb, swap 2 tablespoons of the flour for cocoa powder.
Make it your own
- White chocolate chunks instead of dark reads as a latte.
- Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a café de olla accent.
Storing & freezing
Airtight for 4 days. Frozen dough balls bake from frozen with 2 extra minutes, and the coffee flavour survives freezing untouched.
Frequently asked
Does espresso powder make cookies taste like coffee?
At a teaspoon, no, it just deepens chocolate. At a full tablespoon, dissolved in the butter as here, the cookie genuinely tastes of coffee. Dose to intent.
Can I use instant coffee instead of espresso powder?
Yes, same amount, though it's milder and slightly more acidic. Grind the granules to powder first so they dissolve fully in the butter.
Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
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A note on cooking safely. Recipes are provided for informational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Cooking times, temperatures and quantities are suggestions: use your own judgement, and check that meat, poultry, fish and eggs are properly cooked before serving.
Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, particularly if you have allergies, a medical condition or specific nutritional requirements.