Espresso Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Grown-up chocolate chip cookies with a proper coffee kick.
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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.
Instructions
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1
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.
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2
Whisk in both sugars for a minute, then the egg, yolk and vanilla, whisking until glossy.
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3
Fold in the flour, baking soda and salt, then the chocolate chunks.
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4
Chill the dough 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line two trays.
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5
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.
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6
Scatter with flaky salt the moment they leave the oven, and rest on the tray for 10 minutes.
💡 Baker's tips
- Espresso powder, not ground coffee. Ground beans do not 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 is 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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