day 17 - chocolate espresso snowcaps

Earlier this week I was asked to provide cookies for a youth event at our church Saturday evening.  Of course I said yes, another few days of baking and giving it away!  So today is cookie #2 for the cookie tray tomorrow night.  Yesterday's sugar cookies were #1 by the way.

As with most cookie trays, you want to provide a variety of tastes, crunchy, chocolatey, simple.  Yesterday's sugar cookies are the simple offering.  I made 2 more batches of the english toffee for my husband's work as well as the cookie tray.  Tomorrow will be cookie #4.

This chocolate cookie has it all. Bittersweet chocolate, espresso and cocoa powder.   All mixed together, then rolled in powdered sugar, they look divine.

First get out your mixer.  Mine has been through many years of use, and it is still going strong, well worth the investment if you do any sort of baking.  In the bowl combine the butter and sugar, and let it go.  You want to make sure the cookies are light and the first step is mixing the butter and sugar and they are creamy and fluffy.  While the butter and sugar and creaming, combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk.  In a glass measuring cup add the chopped bittersweet chocolate and heat in the microwave on short increments until melted.  Set the chocolate aside to cool

To the butter & sugar, add the egg and mix completely.  Add the cooled chocolate, then slowly add the dry ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.  Finally beat in the milk.  Turn this mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and put in the freezer to firm up, for about 45 minutes.

After the dough has chilled, roll into 1" balls and roll in powdered sugar twice.  Let the first coating of powdered sugar sit on the cookie balls before rolling a second time.  If you have kids, let them roll the cookies the second time, mine had a great time, and the mess wasn't too terrible!  Bake these in a 350* oven for 12-14 minutes.  They come out looking like snow capped mountains! 

Resist the urge to eat the tray. 

Between the chocolate and the espresso they pack quite a kick!

Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps (Everyday Food)

1/2 c flour

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

4 tsp instant espresso

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

4 Tbsp butter

 2/3 c brown sugar

1 egg

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 Tbsp milk

powdered sugar for coating

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined; mix in cooled chocolate. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat in milk until just combined. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350*. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Pour powdered sugar into a medium bowl; working in batches, roll balls in sugar two times, letting them sit in sugar between coatings.

Place on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies have spread and coating is cracked, 12-14 minutes; cookies will still be soft to the touch. Cool cookies on a wire rack.