In my world, these cookies are breakfast all in one bite.
After all, you’ve got your whole wheat, your maple syrup, and your coffee — all in one lovely, little package.
“Coffee Chip Cookies” bake up crispy on the edges, cakey-tender inside and with an interior the hue of a barista’s perfectly pulled espresso.
They’re sweetened with one cup of maple syrup (use Grade B for a more pronounced maple flavor). But they sport a subtle bitter, earthy edge from the instant espresso powder that’s stirred into the dough, as well as a heap of semisweet chocolate chips.
The recipe is from the “The Maple Syrup Cookbook” (Storey Books) by food writer Ken Haedrich.
I decided to up the maple factor by substituting half of the 1 1/2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips for King Arthur Flour’s Maple Flav-R-Bites, which I recently got a sample bag to try. These little, hard pellets (the size of lentils) soften up when baked, but still retain a little toothsomeness. They add a burst of maple goodness every time you bite into one in any kind of baked good.
Withe a flavor reminiscent of a strong cup of Joe and whole wheat pancakes drenched in syrup, these cookies are sure to perk you up any time of day.
Coffee Chip Cookies
(makes about 2 1/2 dozen)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup pure maple syrup, at room temperature (use Grade B for added flavor)
1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee
2 tablespoons hot water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or almond extract
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup King Arthur Maple Flav-R-Bites (or just use more semisweet chocolate chips instead)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet. Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer, slowly drizzling in maple syrup. Dissolve espresso powder in the hot water and beat in, along with vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, toss flours, walnuts, baking soda, and salt to mix. Stir into creamed mixture, in several stages, until flour is incorporated. Stir in chocolate and maple bites; don’t beat the batter.
Let batter sit for several minutes, then drop slightly mounded tablespoons of batter onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between mounds. Bake for about 15 minutes — only one sheet at a time — just until edges begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Adapted from ” Maple Syrup Cookbook” by Ken Haedrich
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