Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

One of my very favorite baking websites is Joy of Baking. There are so many wonderful things to bake there, and I really like that she has a special section just for high tea. A couple of years ago I found a recipe for double chocolate espresso cookies and I went back to share it with Amy at Clothesline Alley and THEY ARE GONE!!!! I almost cried. Luckily for me (and for you, too) I had already copied the recipe into a Word document and now I shall share with you (does it seem to you this happens a lot, I'm getting some serious deja vu here.) The only thing I changed about the original recipe was that she had white chocolate chips and I have 60% cacao chocolate chips. For ideas on sugar alternatives see here and here.

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (I once used instant coffee)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened (if you use salted butter, omit the salt)
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. (I just spray it with olive oil spray)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder, vanilla, and a tablespoon of water; set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and yolk; mix until incorporated. Add espresso mixture; mix well, scraping down the sides of a bowl with a spatula. At low speed, add flour mixture in small batches, mixing until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer, and stir in chocolate chunks. (I used my food processor and it worked OK, but next time I'll just do it by hand.)

4. Using a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop, scoop heaping balls of dough and place 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely before removing cookies.

Thank you, Stephanie Jaworski from Joy of Baking, for the wonderful recipe.