This month's theme for cookies was Chips, Chunks or Bits, which I totally loved! Thank you Tara for the great idea!
I was trying to think of what I wanted to make, something out of the ordinary, when I had one of those "wow I got it" light bulbs show up above my head. I was in a local coffee shop and they had those dangerous little dark chocolate espresso beans for sale and thought why not use those in a cookie? And what better place to be inspired by a coffee flavored cookie than in a coffee shop.
I love coffee, especially flavored coffee, so why not make the cookie a flavor that goes with coffee. Like hazelnut! And make it more decadent by adding more dark chocolate to the mix. I know, that's a little overboard but it sure turned out irresistibly tasty! So I think I got the theme covered this month - chips of chocolate, chunks of espresso beans and bits of nuts!
After making 3 batches I finally hit upon the right combination of ingredients and they pack a serious sugar high, not to mention the caffeine! Woohoo, it will keep you going all afternoon. It's a soft cookie oozing with gooey chocolate and a nice crunch from the espresso beans and nuts. Everything you could want in a cookie and then some!
Hazelnut Espresso Cookies
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate covered espresso beans, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (or about 3-oz) Ghiradelli dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped
- ½ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Directions:
Beat butter & shortening until soft & creamy. Continue beating while gradually adding sugars, followed by egg and extracts.
Combine flour, baking soda & salt. Gradually add to butter mixture and beat until well incorporated.
Stir in espresso beans, chocolate & hazelnut pieces.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, about 2" apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes on cookie sheets then remove to wire rack & let cool completely.
Makes 3-4 dozen.
The theme this month is Chips, Chunks or Bits! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links. Please be patient though, as this month Laura is off to Italy and will not be checking email quite as often!
You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:
- Banana Pudding Bars from Study at Home Mama
- Cherry and Chocolate Chip Scones from Spiceroots
- Chocolate Andes Mint Chip Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Chocolate Stout and Pretzel Cookies from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
- Flourless Dark Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal Cookies from Rhubarb and Honey
- Gourmet Iced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Hazelnut Espresso Cookies from 2 Cookin' Mamas
- Lemon Bits Oatmeal Cookies from Our Good Life
- Nibbed Caramel Blondies from What Smells So Good?
- Nutty Bits Cookies from Basic N Delicious
- Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies from Noshing With The Nolands
- Rocky Road Cookies from Upstate Ramblings
- Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies from Magnolia Days
- Strawberry n White Choc Chunk Blondies from Baking in Pyjamas
- Trail Mix Cookies from Holly at A Baker's House
- Uncle Hector's 100 Cookies from Food Lust People Love
Love the combination of ingredients in these cookies, hazelnuts are one of my favourite nuts but have never thought about pairing them with coffee. These look great. [email protected] Baking in Pyjamas
Thanks Laura. I know you will love them if you love hazelnuts and coffee. If you get a chance to make them let me know what you think.
One of my favourite treats is a rich cup of hazelnut coffee dusted with cocoa. I love how this cookie emulates that!
That sounds so good! I have some hazelnut coffee here that I am going to have to try with the cocoa.
I love chocolate covered espresso beans. They are so delicious! Plus mixing them with chocolate and hazelnuts sounds amazing.
Thanks Hezzid! The flavors work perfectly together. Just like having my morning coffee in a cookie. Good excuse anyway!
I just happen to have a little bag of those chocolate covered beans that I have been hoarding since the trip to France when I bought them. What a great recipe for using them!
Hazelnut and Espresso! I don't think I would have sent any to hubby's work. Great cookies.
I don't know if my self-control would be up to facing these cookies every day if they stayed in the house. lol
Those look and sound incredible! What a great idea!! Coffee in a cookie!
I adore hazelnuts in a cookie and haven't done that for a long time, need to make these soon!!
I always forget about hazelnuts when it comes to adding nuts to a cookie. But this cookie reminded me that they are a great choice. Think I'll be using them again in the near future.
Great idea! I like the flavors you combined and am sure that all three batches disappeared quickly!! They certainly would have at my house.
lol They sure did! They are a dangerous cookie to have within arms reach so I cheated and sent most to work with my husband so we wouldn't eat all of them ourselves.
Holy moly ... you certainly packed your cookies with tons of chips, chunks, and bits ... and I love it! I love the combo of hazelnut and espresso ... I'm with Renee ... these are definitely going in my "to bake" file!
Thanks Kimberly! Let me know what you think of them when you bake up a batch.
Love me some hazelnuts and don't eat or cook with them often enough. These cookies are going in my to-bake file.
Thanks Renee! I have to tell you that hazelnuts are hard to find but when they are available they are so tasty to add to your baking. Hope you enjoy them!