Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Espresso Chocolate (& Oatmeal Spice) Shortbread Cookies



In my book, there are few words one can use to describe something that more or less guarantee its success in my view:

Chocolate
Fresh
Coffee
Lemon
Easy
Cheese

In this recipe, we get three of my favorite things in one cookie!

This recipe highlights one of my favorite Dorie Greenspan techniques: when rolling out shortbread, Dorie has us put the dough in a large zip top bag and roll it out in the bag. Genius, pure genius. When I made these, I left them rustic, but normally I use Dorie's technique whenever I make shortbread.

By now you realize I do most of my baking in the morning before work (when normal people sleep or go to the gym). These were no exception. I left the butter on the counter when I went to work, and when I came home, I creamed the butter, mixed the dry ingredients (pre-measured before I went to work) and the wet ingredients, scooped it into the plastic bag and rolled it out. The plastic bag went into the fridge for the night and after I washed the mixing bowl, I was done cleaning up. Sweet!

The next morning, I pulled the dough out of the fridge, slit open the sides of the plastic bag, and sliced it into square-ish shapes and baked the cookies. The house smelled amazing...I wish I had a candle in that fragrance:  coffee, chocolate, butter...mmmm...... The cookies were delicious from the oven, delicious when they cooled and especially delicious when I filled them with chocolate ganache ice cream and we ate them for dinner. Not after dinner, for dinner.


They were so easy to make that I got carried away and also made the oatmeal spice variation in the Playing Around notes. These poor cookies were at a disadvantage from the start...they were up against the espresso chocolate ones and that's a tough place to be at home and in the office. I wasn't crazy about them, but I may have been put off by oatmeal in a shortbread cookie.

Donna at Life's Too Short Not to Eat Dessert First is the brilliant baker behind this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. If you'd like the recipe, Donna will have it for you, but you should buy the book. You won't be sorry. Well, not until you can't fit into your jeans anymore. But then you'll bake the next recipe and you'll feel better.

*******PLEASE NOTE: Lethally Delicious is on hiatus for the month of Ramadan. I will be responding to comments but not keeping up with my Google Reader or visiting bloggers other than those who leave comments. I'll be back around Sept. 10th with a spirit refreshed by this blessed month of fasting and prayer. Peace.

21 comments:

Sabrina said...

They look great! This recipe was so easy! Loved it!

natalia said...

Ciao !!! I imagine you in the still dark morning smelling these nice perfumes !! i'd like this candle too !

Valerie Gamine said...

I can't believe you filled these with chocolate ganache ice cream and lived to tell about it. I think I would have died of happiness. :D

Beautiful cookies.

Cindy said...

I love shortbread and Dories method of rolling it is perfect. Fun cookie.

Mary said...

Hope you are having a Happy Ramadan and I look forward to when you are back in September. To add to your list of perfect words for a recipe: gooey, buttery, crunchy, salty, and toasted.

Kayte said...

September 10th is still a long way away. Avatar for Twitter for September is going to be sandwiches, so you can be figuring that out when you are eating one...LOL...hopefully made with some of your delicious bread. Oh, yeah, your cookies look great, and I see you remembered to put the little holes in which I did not remember until the last pan went into the oven b/c, well because you were not baking with me to remind me!!! I like your list, except for the chocolate and coffee parts...I would have to add vanilla and water instead.

Flourchild said...

Yum they look great. I loved this recipe! Im glad you enjoyed too!

Anonymous said...

Your list and mine are almost in sync. Add caramel and you have a winner ;)

Your cookies look SO lovely. And who can argue with a recipe that's THIS simple?? I know I wouldn't dare.

Anonymous said...

I am just the opposite - I do most of my baking at night while the baby is sleeping - it makes getting good pictures a bit harder.
These cookies were delicious! My husband tried to mimic the smell and got a candle the scent of Entenmanns Soft-baked Chocolate Chip cookies. It smells amazing, but not quite like fresh-baked cookies.

Mimi said...

I want to eat dinner at your house!
They were really good cookies. I'm not sure that I'll get mine posted.
Mimi

Hanaâ said...

These look very tasty, especially with a glass of milk (and I'm not even a big fan of coffee-anything). I love the chocolate pieces scattered all over the cookie. Looks like another TWD winner.

I hope your Ramadan is going well so far. I can't believe next week is Eid already. This month is just flying by...

Pamela said...

Now that is my kinda dinner! The house did smell so incredibly good when these were baking. It was making me so hungry!

Judy said...

Espresso chocolate shortbread-chocolate ganache ice cream sandwiches -- now That's a Meal! Yum.

Di said...

Glad to know I'm not the only one who does crazy stuff like bake before work. =) I love your idea of using these for ice cream sandwiches.

Mary said...

I had an ice cream sandwich for dinner last night too! I could certainly make room for one of these--they look fantastic!

Cathy said...

So glad you enjoyed these! The smell of them baking really was divine, wasn't it? I was regretting not trying the oatmeal spice version, but it sounds like that was not your favorite. Your cookies look beautiful - I am glad you enjoyed them!

Cakelaw said...

LOL - chocolate and easy come on my list too!!! Your cookies look great.

Katrina said...

Mmm, an ice cream sammie with "my" chocolate ganahce ice cream. These cookies WERE great, I totally agree. But I used hazelnut flavoring instead of coffee.

Mags @ the Other Side of 50 said...

Oh my, that shot of the cookies with the ganache ice cream filling has me drooling!

Anonymous said...

The ice cream sandwich looks perfect! The rest of my dough is in the freezer waiting to be baked when I have some ice cream to go with it.

So true about the jeans...but baking is so fun, I can't stop.

TeaLady said...

Espresso cookies AND ganache. Be.Still.My.Heart!!!!

Totally for dinner. Totally!!!