Espresso-Kissed Brown Butter Brown Sugar (Coffee Toffee) Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen small cookies
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated via CHOW
For the cookies:
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon espresso powder (also called instant espresso; I use the Medaglia D’Oro brand)
1 egg yolk
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (135 grams) flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the final toss:
2 tablespoons (25 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the sugars for the final toss and set aside.
Cut 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter into small pieces and place in the bottom of a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside.
Next: brown that butter! Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons (85 grams) of butter in a medium skillet set over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to foam. Continue to cook and stir until the foam subsides and milk solids begin to form on the bottom of the pan. Keep a close eye on the pan and turn down the heat if things start to get too toasty. When the butter has deepened in color and smells wonderfully nutty, turn off the heat and pour the butter (and all those tasty brown butter bits) into the bowl with the remaining butter.
Stir to combine until all the butter has melted, then add in the brown sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla, espresso powder and egg yolk and stir until smooth. In a small bowl briefly whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt then add the dry ingredients to the brown butter mixture and stir to combine. The dough may seem a bit on the crumbly side.
Use a scoop to drop one ball at a time into the small bowl of sugar for the final toss. Roll the ball around until covered and place on the prepared sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly brown. Let cool on the sheet for several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
