The other day I was flipping through a vintage cook book when I came across a recipe for “Coffee Cookies”. Personally, I’ve never had a coffee cookie (although after doing some googling I see it’s not an entirely rare cookie), so I was intrigued.

I’ve always loved to tinker in the kitchen. Experimenting and make my own changes to recipes is a bit of a hobby. Of course, since I’m not a professional chef, that’s gotten me into trouble a time or two. So, over the years I’ve laid some ground rules when it comes to tinkering. First, we always start with the original recipe, following it to a T. There’s no point in making changes to something when you aren’t even sure how it’s supposed to taste to begin with. So even though this recipe had a red flag or two, I decided to stick to the recipe. The flavor was overall good, but I felt like it was maybe a little too strong of a coffee flavor (it felt a bit like eating straight coffee grounds). They also didn’t hold a shape at all – they spread unevenly and burnt all around the outer edge. But I liked the overall vibe, so I it was onto tinkering!

After two rounds of adjustments, I had a cookie I love. It’s crispy but also chewy. With the addition of some spices it tastes like that special coffee you can only get around the holidays. These would be perfect to make for the coffee-lover in your life this Christmas!

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Christmas Coffee Cookies

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 Stick (1/2 cup) Butter, at room temp
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup White Sugar
1 Tbsp Instant Coffee
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup (120g) Flour

Instructions

In a bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugars, and coffee together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine. With mixer on low, slowly beat in flour mixture until fully incorporated.
Optional: Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. You can skip this if you're short on time, but I do feel like it improves the flavor and the overall texture just a bit. If you plan on skipping refrigeration make sure you preheat your oven before you start making your dough.
Scoop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper by the spoonfuls. Bake in a 350° F oven for 11 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove and let cool.