Shortbread is a classic cookie and simple to make with only a few house hold ingredients. I love the extra crunch and crumble from a cookie baked just right with lots of butter. Recently I was having a little creative fun in the kitchen and added an extra twist incorporating ground espresso in the batter. I LOVED the way they turned out, with an added boldness and rich flavor. My husband and I enjoyed dunking them in our morning coffee. Then a few days later I made them again, adding a chocolate ganache to them, creating the these Mocha Shortbread Cookies.
Ingredients for Shortbread:
1/2 cup butter – room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground Ascend Espresso Coffee – ground medium fine
1 cup flour
Ingredients for Chocolate Sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Loloru brewed coffee
6 oz semisweet chocolate – chips or chopped
Pinch kosher salt
Directions:
1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make the shortbread. Measure flour and mix with coffee grinds in a small bowl, set aside. In a stand mixer whip the butter and sugar on medium for a minimum of 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt. Slow the mixer to the lowest setting. Mix in flour coffee mixture slowly until fully incorporated. Bring the dough together and transfer to a lightly floured surface.
3. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick, adding more flour as needed.
4. Use a cookie cutter of choice or the 1/4 cup measuring cup to cut dough into circles. Transfer to baking sheet.
5. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are just turning golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely.
6. Make the chocolate sauce. Heat heavy cream and brewed coffee over medium heat until very hot. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream coffee over the chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Add salt and whisk until smooth. Pour finished chocolate back into the sauce pan you heated the cream and coffee in and keep over low heat for assembly, stirring occasionally.
7.Assemble cookies. Dip the bottom of the cooled shortbread cookies in the chocolate sauce and place back on the baking sheet. Continue will all of your shortbread cookies. Cover the top of each cookie with caramel sauce. With a spoon drizzle chocolate sauce over the top. Put in the refrigerator to cool.
