Elwynn Cookies
Guess what? Thursday is Elwynn’s adoption day! One year ago this Thursday (October 17), I brought Elwynn home from the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and I cannot imagine a better companion for the past year. He has brought me nothing but joy. He cuddles. He loves when I come home from work (mostly because I feed him). He is adorable. He meows back to me when I meow at him. He is pure perfection.
So obviously I wanted to make something this week to celebrate him. I came across a recipe for chocolate shaped cookies last year, and, paired with a cat cookie cutter my mom got me, this seemed perfect.
Start by whisking together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
You’ll also want to prepare the espresso. Mix the espresso powder and boiling water in a small dish and set aside.
You should also melt the unsweetened chocolate by heating, stirring frequently, in a double boiler until smooth.
Next, start beating the butter on medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
With the mixer, beat in the sugar until light and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides and beat in the espresso, egg and vanilla extract.
Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating after each addition, until dough comes together.
Separate the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap, pressing into a disk.
Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Remove from fridge and roll each disk out between two pieces of parchment paper, until about 1/4 inch thick.
use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of as much of the dough as possible. You won’t want to roll this out a second time, so make the most of it.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Allow to cool about 2 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Look at the Elwynn cookies! Isn’t he so cute?
Enjoy!
Elwynn Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon boiling water
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a small dish, mix together the espresso powder and water and set aside.
- In a double boiler, melt the unsweetened chocolate until smooth, and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy on medium speed, about 3 minutes.
- With the mixer running, add the sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy.
- Add the espresso mixture, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
- Beat in the melted chocolate.
- Add the dry ingredients in 2 additions, beating to combine after each addition, until dough comes together.
- Divide dough into two pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap, flattening into a disk.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Roll dough out between two sheets of parchment paper until 1/4 inch thick.
- Using a cookie cutter, cut into shapes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 35 0*F for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
