Salted Espresso Cookies

Guess who's back? That's right, it's me.
How was everyone's summer? Now it's back into the flow of work or school which can be a little stressful at times for everyone. Parents, teachers and kids alike.

I know I'm not too thrilled about going back. Having to get my butt off the couch and actually do something every day kind of bums be out. And I feel that no one likes waking up at 7:00 or even 6:00 every morning just to go places and be productive.
We all need a sort of kick start in the morning, which is where these cookies come in handy! Instant coffee mixed into the batter to give them their zing factor which can be a good or bad thing depending on how old you are. Might I not suggest these for school lunches.
But also, the salt contrasts very well with the coffee to even it out and give them their unique flavour!

Salted Espresso Cookies

8 oz.                          semi sweet chocolate
6 tbsp                        butter
2 tbsp                        instant coffee powder
1/3 cup                      a.p flour
1 tsp                          baking soda
2 eggs
3/4 cup                      sugar
1 tsp                           vanilla
1 tbsp                         sea salt (optional)

Melt the chocolate, the butter and coffee powder in a double boiler. Stir until smooth and melted. Take off the heat and let cool a bit. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla until light. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined. Cover in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight so you can bake in the morning before work. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough onto cookie sheets about 1 inch apart and bake for 10-12 minutes. Top each cookie with a pinch of salt. Enjoy!

While people get back into the groove of things I think I will enjoy these cookies.
If you are looking for a few snacks to pack for school lunches, I would try some of the following recipes:
Marbled Brownie Blondie Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge, Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Elanne Boake