Espresso Dark Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Super buttery and tender cookies. Rich dark chocolate ganache. These espresso espresso dark chocolate sandwich cookies would make a gorgeous holiday gift!
I’ve been baking up a storm and filling my kitchen with cookies the past few weeks. It’s gotten slightly out of hand because I’m running out of room in my freezer. Thank god I’ll be seeing lots of friends and family in the next few days so I can unload some of these treats!
But with Christmas only a few days away, I figured I might as well keep this train rolling. I went with the heavenly chocolate-coffee flavor combination for these espresso dark chocolate sandwich cookies.
It all starts off with a delightfully short basic butter cookie dough. To that, I add a couple tablespoons of espresso to amp up the flavor and tossed in some finely chopped pecans for crunch. These tender cookies are great and addicting on their own, but the ganache filling really takes them to the next level. Super rich, super chocolatey, super coffee-y. Your family and friends will love you for this one.
Guys, Ganache is Easy
While the cookies are out of the oven and cooling, whip up a quick and easy dark chocolate espresso ganache. Ganache is one of those things that seems fancy, but is deceptively easy to make. To start, you bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Then pour the hot cream over chopped bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet) and let it sit for a minute to begin melting together.
Next, sprinkle in a little espresso powder and grab your whisk! Stir the mixture together until delightfully smooth and creamy. Then place the bowl of ganache into the fridge to chill for about 20-30 minutes, until you reach a semi-soft consistency that’s perfectly spreadable in a sandwich cookie. Don’t forget to stir it frequently to check on it!
Once it reaches peak spreadable texture, remove from fridge. It’s sandwich time!
Espresso Dark Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 tbsp instant espresso powder
- 2 tbsp boiling water
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste optional
- 1.5 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cup all purpose flour
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
Instructions
- Combine 2 tbsp espresso powder with 2 tbsp boiling water and stir to dissolve.
- Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2minutes. Add the egg yolks, mixing well after each addition. Add espresso, vanilla and salt and combine.
- On low speed, mix in the flour. Stop the mixer when you still see a few streaks of flour in the dough, then mix the rest by hand.
- Transfer the dough to the counter and split the into two pieces. Form each half into a disc, wrap each with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one disc from the fridge and let soften on the counter for about 10-15 minutes. Unwrap the dough and place it between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll out to a thickness about 1/4 inch
- Use a 2″ cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Cut them as close together as possible. To prevent sticking. Dip the edges of the cutter into some flour. Repeat with 2nd disk. If the dough becomes too soft or warm, just pop it back in the fridge for a couple minutes.
- Place the cookies on the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Let the cookies set for 5 minutes before moving them to cooling racks.
- To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate into a heat-safe bowl. heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it to melt for for 2 minutes. Add the espresso powder and whisk the chocolate and cream until smooth and creamy.
- Place the uncovered ganache in the refrigerator to thicken. Let it chill for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Spread a small amount of ganache over half of the cookies, then make sandwiches. If the chocolate ever becomes too stiff, microwave on low for 10 seconds at a time, stirring in between each, until you get the desired consistency.