Espresso Shortbread Cookies

This recipe takes The Classic Shortbread Cookie and kicks it up a notch or two- and not just on the caffeine front. If the thought of a (purely sublime) plain shortbread cookie is a bit, well, plain… then add in that one special ingredient that will keep you (and any others who get to taste these cookies) coming back for more: e s p r e s s o. Buzz, buzz, busy baker!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons ground espresso

1 teaspoon vanilla OR coffee liqueur, like Kahlua (optional)
1. Sift flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside. Cream butter with a stand mixer (or hand-held mixer) until light (2 – 3 minutes), then add sugar and beat for additional 2 – 3 minutes (scraping sides of bowl a couple of times throughout). Add ground espresso and vanilla or coffee liqueur (if using). Beat until espresso is evenly incorporated into mixture. Add flour & salt combo and mix on low speed until dough is just incorporated together into a ball.
2. Pat dough into a flat disc and wrap with plastic wrap; chill until very firm (at least an hour). Roll dough out to just under 1/2 inch thick (you might need dough to ‘warm up’ a bit to do this), and use a cookie cutter to cut out your desired shapes. Chill until cookie shapes are firm before baking.
3. Preheat oven to 325°, and bake shortbread until firm to the touch and turning golden brown (about 15 minutes). Cool on a wire rack and indulge.
Tips:
- Espresso thoughts: I prefer ground espresso beans in this recipe, but I have also used instant espresso powder and been quite happy. (The instant espresso powder tends to create a lighter looking cookie, while I just tend to prefer the darker look of the ground espresso- where you can see the little flecks of beans.) If you don’t have either on hand, you can use instant coffee granules- just up the amount to 3 tablespoons.
- Sugar options: you can use the full 1/2 cup of regular sugar (instead of half as powdered sugar), or the full 1/2 cup as powdered sugar for a lighter cookie. Try 1/2 cup of light brown sugar for a richer taste and color.
- Looking for EASY cookie options? Rolling dough out can be a bit cumbersome, so try these options to save time: Shortbread wedges: after step #1 above, pat the dough evenly into a greased 8-inch cake, springform, or tart pan, and chill for the hour. Then bake for about 45 minutes. (If you only have a 9-inch cake pan, just bake for 40 minutes.) Cookie balls: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, chill, and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Cookie slices: Roll the dough into a log, and after chilling, slice into 1/2 inch thick rounds and bake. (The rounds will be a tad rustic looking compared to the cookie cutter version, which is totally fine.)
- Have a thing for mocha? Go ahead and dip half of (or all of) your finished cookies into a small bowl with melted semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, or just use a pastry brush and paint the tops of the cookies with the chocolate.
- Don’t rush the baking time, impatient baker. Be sure to let the cookies bake all the way through for the full time, watching for the edges to brown slightly. These cookies are deceiving, as you’ll smell them and think they are ready before they really are. Deceptive cookies.
- Freeze-friendly. Shortbread keeps in an airtight container for a few weeks, and it freezes really well, too. (I have stored these for up to 2 months in the freezer- I’m not sure how they lasted that long.)
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March 28th, 2012 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: Cookies, Espresso