Recipe adapted from: http://thecreeksidecook.com/chocolate-espresso-spritz-cookies/#axzz3LL3q0XLH
Makes: ~50 cookies (= 25 filled cookies)
You’ll need a good hand mixer for this recipe and a cookie gun. These cookies are chocolate espresso flavoured with a Baileys icing filling. If you’re not a fan of Baileys, you can enjoy these cookies on their own. Personally, I think the icing filling distracts from the chocolate espresso flavour, so when I make these, I only fill half the cookies with icing and leave the other half bare. I’ve also made these with Contreau instead of Baileys icing. It’s just as good!
Ingredients:
- Cookies:
- 2 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup, packed, light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsps espresso (or 2 Tbsps instant espresso powder + 2 Tbsps hot water)
- Filling:
- 1/2 stick (= 57g = 2oz) butter, softened
- 1 & 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar/icing sugar
- 2 Tbsps Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 pinch of salt
Directions:
- In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla and espresso until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the large mixer bowl until fully mixed.
- Preheat the oven to 175˚C (350º).
- Fill your cookie press with the dough and make the cookies on a baking tray.
- (Optional: you can decorate with sugar sprinkles – mist the cookies with water first to help the sprinkles stick before baking)
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are nicely set.
- Remove to a rack and cool completely before filling.
- Make the filling: mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined, smooth and creamy. You want the icing to be thick. Ice the cookies!
Notes:
- You can refrigerate the dough after mixing to enhance the flavours, but be sure to bring back to room temp before pressing out the cookies.
- Instead of Baileys, you can use 2 Tbsps Kahlua + 1 Tbsp heavy cream for a heavier coffee flavour.
- If you don’t like alcohol, you can replace the Baileys with 1Tbsp of whatever flavour you want (ie. orange extract) + 1 Tbsp of heavy cream. I’ve made this with Contreau before and it was pretty good.
- Tip for cookie guns: put the baking trays in the freezer before pressing the cookies onto them. It’ll help the cookies stick better instead of sticking to the gun.
Abby Approved 