Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is another Chocolate Chip Cookie for Adults variation. As everybody knows, Mocha is a combination of chocolate and coffee. Simply adding espresso powder dissolved in water didn't seem to "do it" for me, so finally I decided to cut up an Espresso Infused Dark Chocolate bar by Seattle Chocolates and use that in place of the semisweet chips. Adding some white chips (or a cut up bar of good quality white chocolate) and almonds really took these to the "next level."

Enjoy!


Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

1-1/2 cups cake flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
9 Tablespoons butter-flavored shortening
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
2 2.5 oz Espresso Infused Dark Chocolate bars, chopped
1 cup white chips
1 cup sliced almonds
Nonstick cooking spray


1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream fat and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat thoroughly. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides once with a rubber spatula. Add the almonds and chocolate and white chips. Beat 5 seconds on low. Use the rubber spatula to finish mixing in well.
4. Spray cookie sheets lightly with nonstick cooking spray. With tablespoon or small ice cream food scoop (I use a #40, about 1-1/2” diameter), drop slightly heaped tablespoons of batter about 2 inches apart onto the greased sheets. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet on a cooling rack for 3 minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely.


Makes about 2-1/2 dozen cookies.