Chewy, fudgy cookies filled with milk chocolate toffee and a slight coffee flavor.
There is no limits to what a cookie can be. Coffee and toffee flavors seemed like the perfect mash up and thinking of it all together in a sweet cookie dough made my heart sing. And I have to admit the final product was swoon worthy.
" Home is where heart is. Heart where cookie is. Math clear: Math is cookie. - Cookie Monster
Cookies are best, in my opinion, when they have a crispy crust and a fudgy center. I find this texture is the most pleasing and nostalgic. To obtain that textural contrast I have found that adding a higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar does the trick. Brown sugar has more liquid in it, allowing for a soft center. While the granulated sugar has the opportunity to create that crunch crust.
Knowing that I was going to add in a bitter coffee (well, espresso) I wanted the cookie batter to be a sweet cream batter that would help balance the bitterness but not overwhelm things. The batter itself is not overly complicated but the flavors are incredible.
Another flavor note I wanted to add was brown butter. I felt that the brown butter would help enhance the toffee flavor as they play on similar notes. Again the symphony of flavors working together just makes me so happy to even think about.
So lets get to the recipe already:
Recipe
Coffee Toffee Cookies:
1 c browned butter
2 1/2 tsp espresso powder or Pero (coffee substitute) powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
toppings:
1/2 c chopped semi sweet chocolate
coarse sea salt
Start by browning 1 cup of butter in a medium sauce pan. Stir often watching for the water to evaporate out and the milk solids to drop down. Once they have dropped they will toast quickly. When you see them turning brown and letting off a nutty aroma take off the heat and add in 2 ice cubes or 2 TBSP water to stop the cooking all together. Set aside and allow to come to room temp.
When the butter has come to room temp whisk in the espresso powder and vanilla. Next, in a medium bowl, mix together the sugars, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then add the butter mixture to the sugar mixture and cream together till fully combined. Add in the eggs and mix again till nice and creamy. Take a minute to breath in that lovely aroma. Then add in the flour directly to your mixing bowl. Stir in with a spatula till ribbons of flour are left. Then add in the toffee bits and mix all together. Scoop dough out into 2 oz. balls, top with chopped chocolate and set on a baking sheet. Now this is the hardest part, chill in the fridge overnight. Chilling the dough allows the flavors to develop fully and helps everything work together so beautifully. Please don't skip this step!
When you are ready to bake, Place 6 dough balls on a baking sheet evenly spaced. Bake for 8 minutes at 365°F top with coarse sea salt and enjoy.