Day 9 … Dark Chocolate Mocha Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. If you’re making a holiday cookie platter, it has to have something chocolate. It’s a rule. So far this month, I’ve done two chocolate cookies – one a spicy Mexican chocolate number and the other, in the last post, a delightful combo with hazelnuts. Both are very good but this one, oh this one is chocolate x100. Most of the cookies so far have been fairly simple, pushed into a pan for bars or rolled into balls. These take it up a notch – there’s rolling and cutting and filling. Yes folks, today I’m challenging you. Today we’ve got sandwich cookies; Dark Chocolate Mocha Sandwich Cookies.

The dough is easy enough … the basic butter cookie dough with some espresso powder and cocoa for a deep chocolate flavor. There’s some additional sugar and baking soda in there to ensure they bake up a bit firm and crisp. Now, here’s the thing to remember when doing cut out type cookies: roll warm, cut cold. Remember this; make it your mantra, get a t-shirt, tattoo it on your forearm. They are words to live by. Roll the cookie dough into thin sheets between 2 pieces of plastic wrap when it’s freshly made, room temperature and easy to roll. Stack the sheets on a pan and chill for several hours. Then, and only then, do you cut. I’ve never understood recipes that tell you to chill the dough before rolling. Makes no damn sense. Warm dough is easier to roll and cold dough is easier to cut and transfers nice and clean. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

The cookies bake up nice and crisp and are perfectly delicious on their own but they’re even better with a little more chocolate, because really, what isn’t? For the filling, an easy ganache is made with good dark chocolate, cream and espresso powder. If you make this the night before, it will be the perfect texture – luscious and silky – by the time you need it. A bit is piped on one cookie, topped with another and given a slight push to even it out. They are dark, rich and 100% pure chocolate flavor. Delightful. These are what I refer to as “showstopper” type cookies. The ones that take a little bit of time and effort so make sure to put them on top, where everyone can see them. Just a few will garner enough oohs and aahs to make it seem like you really put yourself out to make this cookie assortment. The reality can be our little secret.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: PERFECTION. Cut out cookies please my inner perfectionist. There is something about lining up the cookies, the piping, the matching of the two pieces and giving them that little smoosh … it’s incredibly satisfying. Neat little rows of perfect little chocolate cookies are infinitely pleasing. That they are delicious … well, of course they are.

12 Days of Cookies: One Dough, Many Cookies
Cookie Prep – Basic Butter Cookie Dough
Day 1 – Jam Thumbprints
Day 2 – Mexican Chocolate Crinkles
Day 3 – Butter Rum Bars
Day 4 – Cranberry Pistachio Coins
Day 5 – Candied Ginger Spice Buttons
Day 6 – Russian Teacakes
Day 7 – Apricot Rosemary Shortbread
Day 8 – Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons
2015 12 Days of Cookies: Pretzel Caramel Shortbread, Fig Mezzaluna, Dutch Windmills, Bourbon Peach Rugelah, Chai Spiced Meringue Kisses, Almond Joy Bars, Swedish Kringla, Chile Lime Macaroons, Orange Cranberry Cornmeal Shortbread, Eggnog Buttons, Ginger Palmiers, Rainbow Cookies
seven years ago: Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Gingerbread with the Kids
six years ago: Bacon Cheddar Gougeres
five years ago: Cookbook Gift List, Homemade for the Holidays
four years ago: Lemon Slice Cookies, Gingerbread with Bourbon Sauce
three years ago: Peppermint Cookie Platter (make this!!)
two years ago: Cider Apple Pie
last year: Caldo Verde (Portugese Kale & Potato Soup)

DARK CHOCOLATE COFFEE SANDWICH COOKIES
Makes about 6 ½ dozen sandwich cookies – the recipe can be easily halved or doubled

for the coffee ganache filling:
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 64%+ cacao, finely chopped
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

For the chocolate cookies:
¼ cup warm water
1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
½ batch butter cookie dough, room temperature
¾ cup dutch process cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda

1. For the coffee ganache filling: place the finely chopped chocolate into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Bring the cream to a boil and whisk in the espresso powder.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate, give the bowl a little shake to fully submerge all the chocolate and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit 4-5 minutes.
4. Remove the plastic wrap and slowly whisk to combine. If the chocolate hasn’t fully melted, microwave at 50% powder in 45 second bursts, stirring frequently. Alternatively, gently stir over a double boiler until fully melted.
5. Cover and let the ganache set at room temperature for at least 2 hours to thicken. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and left at room temperature.
6. For the cookies: In the bowl of a standing mixer combine the water and espresso powder until dissolved.
7. Add the room temperature cookie dough, cocoa, sugar and baking soda and mix with the paddle attachment until well combined.
8. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper to a flat sheet about 1/8” thick.
9. Stack the sheets on a sheet pan and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. The dough sheets can be refrigerated up to 3 days (or frozen up to 3 months) but tightly wrap first to make sure the edges do not dry out.
10. When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350°F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking liners.
11. Remove one sheet of dough from the refrigerator and remove the top sheet of plastic wrap or parchment.
12. With a 1 ½” round cutter, stamp out as many circles as possible and transfer to the prepared baking sheets, ¾” apart.
13. Continue with the remaining dough sheets, rerolling/chilling the scraps as you go.
14. Bake 8-10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until baked through and slightly firm to the touch.
15. To assemble: place the ganache in a piping bag and pipe about 1 Tablespoon onto the backside of half the cookies.
16. Top each with another cookie, pressing slightly to adhere.
17. Store between layers of parchment in an airtight container up to 3 days.
18. Do ahead: it’s best to make and freeze the dough and bake as needed rather than freeze baked cookies. Frozen dough will keep up to 3 months. You can freeze the dough then let come to room temperature and proceed at step #8 or I find it much easier to roll/chill/cut and freeze the cut rounds of cookie dough between layers of parchment. Then just bake the cut frozen cookies as you like. The ganache can also be frozen for up to 2 months but may break once it comes to room temperature. To re-emulsify, warm slightly and blend with an immersion blender or a high powdered blender until smooth.

 

½ recipes:

74 cookies = 37 sandwich cookies

for the coffee ganache filling:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 64%+ cacao, finely chopped

¾ cups heavy cream

1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of kosher salt

 

For the cookies:

2 Tablespoons warm water

¾ teaspoons instant espresso powder

¼ batch butter cookie dough, room temperature

6 Tablespoons dutch process cocoa powder

¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

 

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