I made these cookies with very little sugar so the bittersweet flavours of coffee and cocoa can shine. I roll the dough in turbinado sugar for crunchy edges — a small touch that makes a big difference. These slice-and-bake cookies are an excellent base for powdered sugar stencilling. If you prefer a sweeter cookie, increase the granulated sugar in the dough to 100 grams (about ½ cup).
Because they are slice-and-bake cookies, chill the dough overnight for best results. They keep their shape and develop better flavour when rested. These cookies pair beautifully with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
📖 Recipe
Bittersweet Cocoa Coffee Cookies
Author: Janice Lawandi
These bittersweet cocoa coffee cookies deliver a pleasant coffee-and-chocolate flavour without being overly sweet. Thin, crisp, and ideal with tea.
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 90 kcal
Ingredients
- 281 grams bleached all-purpose flour
- 10 grams extra-dark cocoa powder
- 1.25 mL fine kosher salt (Diamond Crystal preferred)
- 22.5 mL ground coffee beans (use ground coffee, not instant)
- 173 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 50 grams granulated sugar (double if you prefer sweeter)
- 5 mL pure vanilla extract
- 45 mL whole milk (3.25% fat)
- 50 grams turbinado sugar (for rolling)
- Icing sugar for stencilling or dusting before serving
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and coffee grounds in a bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light.
- Add the vanilla and mix, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry mixture gradually, then add the milk. Beat until a cohesive dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and shape it into a 7½-inch log. Press into a rectangle if you want square cookies (about 1¾” x 1¾”).
- Roll the log in turbinado sugar, pressing so the sugar adheres. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Slice the chilled log about ¼” thick to yield roughly 30 thin cookies. Space them on the prepared sheets and bake about 15 minutes, until the surface looks dry.
- Cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Before serving, stencil or dust generously with icing sugar for a pretty finish.
Notes
- This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt; if you use table salt, halve the amount to avoid oversalting.
- Any good-quality cocoa powder will work; a darker cocoa will increase the chocolate intensity.
- Turbinado sugar is a coarse raw sugar that gives crisp, crunchy edges — it’s optional but recommended for texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 90 kcal (approximate)
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
