Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

My Day So Far: Morning dentist visit (me), Museum of Natural History to see Live Butterfly exhibit (me, daughter, friends), noodle soup lunch to combat frigid temps!

Naptime Goals: Make Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies for in-law's. Pack for weekend trip to Martha's Vineyard.

Tonight's Meal: Thai take-out. We are leaving at the crack of dawn and I am not cooking tonight!

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Caffeine and toddlers don't mix.

These cookies have been a favorite of mine for the past couple of years and I've been wanting to write about them for a while. They might ring a bell for some of you because in November they achieved a previously unknown level of fame when, to my surprise, they won the chocolate cookie contest on food52. After seeing the entries of chocolatey deliciousness from the likes of Food Blogga, TasteFood and Savour-Fare, I figured my little cookies would have a slim-to-none chance of being recognized. However, lo and behold, much to my amazement, they were.

Excited by this unexpected showcase, my friends, family and fans took a look at the site, watched the video of Amanda and Merrill engaging in a chocolate cookie baking race (yes, it actually happened), and voted for them. Then, after their trip to food52, everyone sent me personal emails requesting that I bring them a batch the next time I visited.

No problem, I thought, after agreeing to the first few requests, it would be nice to share these with friends. But the emails never stopped. Not for One. Whole. Month. At one point I considered breaking all agreements and hosting a massive cookie buffet at my place instead, but my conscious got the better of me. If everyone took the time to vote, then making them their own batch was the least I could do. (FYI, I seriously have about 25 more batches to make before my obligations are fulfilled.)

People have told me what they like most about these cookies is how the espresso powder enhances the richness of the chocolate. However, not to worry, the intensity of it is kept in check by the addition of semisweet chocolate chips. These create warm pockets of a lighter chocolate flavor, balancing out the cookies' overall taste and texture.

Most of the time I keep these out of my daughter's reach because I whip up the dough during her naptime, and bake them after she's asleep at night. However, despite my best efforts, she has gotten hold of them a few times and had the time of her life. If you've ever seen a toddler on a caffeine high you'll know what I mean when I say that, after eating these cookies, my child morphed into the Tasmanian Devil from that old Bugs Bunny cartoon. For your own safety, I recommend keeping these far out of reach of children, and slapping a parent safety warning on the container for good measure.
 

I am sorry it took so long to give you this recipe but, in a way, I'm glad I waited. We all need a little extra chocolate in January and this is the perfect time to share these cookies. They are just the thing to perk you up on a cold winter day. In fact, if you are like me, you might even sneak a few bites first thing in the morning. It is never too early for chocolate or espresso, and these are just the things to get you going.

Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. Kosher salt
2 T. instant espresso powder
12 oz. (1 bag) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, soda, salt and espresso powder. Give them a quick stir with a whisk to combine.
4. With the mixer on low slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until all combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Do not overbeat. Mix in chocolate chips using a wooden spoon.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variation Ideas: Thanks to the awesome readers at food52 I've learned of a few variations to this recipe. Some people have been making them with cocoa nibs (yum!) and others have used chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips (double-yum!)
Naptime Stopwatch: Like most cookie doughs this takes about 5 minutes to put together. I like to let it rest for a couple of hours in the fridge before baking it if possible. But, they can be baked right away if you are in a time crunch.
Naptime Reviews: Most children find this recipe too strong for their palate, but keep them out of reach just in case, otherwise the kids might be up all night! Adults love them.