Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

I love the short weeks that come as a result of a vacation. It helps that we’ve had 239023920 going on, too. We got home only to have something going on every night this week. I haven’t gone to the store. The fridge looks sad and pathetic. Seriously, I could whip you up a mean condiment cocktail. Maybe some mashed potatoes. You could gnaw on a sundried tomato if you’d like. Besides the breakfast staples [smoothies, oatmeal, and buckwheat bakes], I’ve been eating out at absolutely every meal. It’s definitely not a bad thing.

I had intended on eating leftover Indian food for dinner tonight. I stopped by Bombay Chaat House at lunch, picking up their six course lunch special for $5! It’s a hefty to-go container of basmati rice and four rotating dishes [all vegetarian] and a massive piece of naan. For $5. I ate half at lunch, fully intending to devouring the rest tonight. Only I got sidetracked. Andrew wanted chocolate. I made cookies. We make such a great team. I halved the recipe for some double chocolate espresso cookies, and we managed to eat half of the dough before the first batch of cookies were removed from the oven. Isn’t that the point of making cookies? To use it as a vehicle to make the dough? So after eating a quarter of the dough and two finished cookies, I was full. Whoops. Here it is four hours later, and I’m still full. I took Roma to the park and initiated a weeding session in the front yard in an effort to work some of it off, but I’m still full. I guess I know what I’ll be eating for lunch tomorrow.

The cookies were super delish, though. The dough even more so. They stay ooey and gooey in the center, have a rich chocolate taste that doesn’t kill you with sweetness. I used rounded 1/2 tbsp drops of dough and it yielded about 24 cookies, but we ate about half beforehand so it probably could make closer to 40. These are almost vegan, but I dropped in an egg. I’m far too leery about using a flax egg in a cookie [and let’s be honest, I just love eggs!]

Inspiration: KelseytheNaptimeChef @ Food52

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 sticks of Earth Balance, softened [or butter]
• 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice [or regular sugar]
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup dutch cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder
• 6 oz dark chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the Earth Balance and sugars together until light, fluffy, and awesome.
3. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
4. In a separate bowl, sift all your dry ingredients together.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until everything is incorporated. The dough should be pretty stiff.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips with a spoon [I love this spoon by the way]
7. Prep your cookie sheets with silpats or parchment paper.
8. Drop by the 1/2 tablespoon on to the sheet. Leave space as they will spread.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes [10 minutes for me. Gooey is the way to go].
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool. They will harden as they cool.
11. Eat one if you’re not full from the dough.