Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

 

Okay, so you’re getting another cookie recipe because I offered to do a cookie-and-coffee afternoon for the family instead of us trying a Memorial Day barbecue in the rain this year!  The weather is just not cooperating, really this year; and work is crazy, with schools getting out left and right on me right now; and this, and that, and anyhow — 

Cookies are easier, in short, and I’d been wanting to try this one anyway. 😊 Chocolate cookies with chocolate chips and coffee sound marvelous to me!

For us celiacs: DeLallo Instant Espresso Powder is gluten free as per the manufacturer’s description, and ingredients are 100% coffee. So it’s nothing I’ve tried to drink (actually the thought of ‘instant espresso’ kind of gives me shudders, coffee snob that I am), but I did buy a jar, and I’m giving it a try.

To start, Stir your 2T DeLallo’s and 2T milk together in a cup or small bowl or whatever until the espresso’s dissolved. 

Dry ingredients: mix the almond flour, unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s Cocoa Powder is marked gluten free), baking soda, and salt together. 

Wet ingredients: you’re going to want a bigger bowl for this, but you’re probably going to want one that can go in the microwave, too. I started out with a big plastic one, because I melted my two sticks of butter in the microwave in it and then added the other ingredients to that. 

You want a cup of brown sugar, and brown sugar is one of those weird ingredients that they expect you to really pack down in the measuring cup with a spoon. (I’ve never figured out why we have to do that. But whatever, right?) Get a spoon and pack it into a measuring cup. Add it to the butter and whisk it until smooth. 

Crack your eggs straight into that bowl, and keep whisking! Add the espresso/milk mixture and your vanilla, and whisk all that until smooth. 

Start adding your dry ingredients to the ‘wet ingredients’ bowl, a cup or so at a time. I had to switch to a silicon spatula at this point. Add your chocolate chips, stir until mixed, and put the bowl in the fridge to chill for two hours or so.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 and get your dough back out.

I used a baking sheet with parchment paper. Some people use parchment paper because they think it gives them better baked goods, I think; I use it because it means easier clean-up! You just throw away parchment paper and don’t have to wash the cookie sheets.

I used about a 3T-size scoop to make my cookies, and spaced them about 3 inches apart. 

Cook until edges are just set, 9-10 minutes. Let cook on the baking sheet 10 minutes, then move to a rack to finish cooling. 

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO COOKIES

Ingredients

2 T instant espresso powder (DeLallo is GF)

2 T milk

2 1/2 C almond flour

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey is GF)

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt (I just used a few twists of my grinder)

1 C (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 C packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1 C semisweet chocolate chips

In a small bowl or cup, stir espresso powder into milk until dissolved. Set aside.

Whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Then melt your butter in another, larger bowl. I melted mine in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time. Whisk the brown sugar into it once melted. Add eggs, and whisk well (about a full minute). Add the espresso and milk mixture, and add your vanilla. Whisk until blended.

Add your ‘dry’ ingredients to your other bowl, about a cup at a time. You will probably need to set aside your whisk for a spatula. Once all that is blended together, add your chocolate chips. Stir until blended.

Set in the fridge to chill for an hour or two.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350. Pull your dough out, and get your baking sheet covered with parchment paper if you’re using that. Drop your dough onto the parchment paper or baking sheet in balls about two-or-three-tablespoon sized. Space them about three inches apart.

Bake 9-10 minutes or until edges are set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack and let cool completely. 

Old Bay Flounder in Crisper Baskets

 

We are going to have a lesson today in using one of my favorites here in the kitchen - my copper crisper baskets. You can find them sold under the names of ‘air fryer’ baskets, too, sometimes - same difference! Great things. I don’t have room in my kitchen for yet another small appliance, and these things hold a lot more than an air fryer does anyway!

I have a set of them (can you see here?), one that is flat on the bottom and then one that is ridged, that I use for bacon strips and meatballs. They fit neatly on top of the copper baking sheets they come with, allowing the hot air in the oven to circulate underneath them, like an air fryer - so your food crisps without gets soggy, and without all the oil!

Since I’m cooking some flounder fillets today, I’m using the flat one. 

Even though copper is ~supposedly~ nonstick, I always give things a spray with pan spray to start out with. Better safe than sorry, right? And get the oven pre-heating. I’m going to go with just a normal 350 today.

Just a warning: I am not measuring anything today. When I’m breading fish or chicken or something like that I usually don’t. 

I’m using a mix of almond and brown rice flour (I’d be using 100% almond flour if I had enough, I like the nutty taste of almond flour for breading); garlic powder; paprika; and some Old Bay seasoning. (McCormick Allergen Statement for the Old Bay) Put it all in a pie pan or other shallow dish and mix it up to bread your fish with. 

Now, real basically, you’re going to put your fish in the seasoned flour until it’s coated on both sides, put it in the copper basket (not touching each other!), give it another spray with pan spray on the top - and then bake for 8-10 minutes, or until it flakes easy with a fork.

It might be a little longer if your fish is thicker than mine. 

(Should I list ingredients even though I didn’t measure? I s’pose so, it is a recipe, isn’t it?

OLD BAY FLOUNDER

Ingredients

Almond flour (or whatever GF flour you have on hand)

Old Bay seasoning

Paprika

Garlic powder

Flounder fillets (or tilapia, or cod - any mild white fish will work!)

Spray your crisper baskets with pan spray and preheat your oven to 350.

Mix all ingredients in a shallow pie pan or other flat dish. Pat fish into breading, coating it on both sides. Place in the baskets, spray the tops with pan spray, and bake 8-10 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork at the thickest point.