Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL ESPRESSO CHEWS

Category: Cookies

For the dough
1 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder or coffee granules
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
48 Rolo candies, unwrapped

For the glaze
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
1 to 2 tbsp hot water
1 cup confectioners sugar

To prepare the dough: Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, stir together milk and espresso powder.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Beat in dissolved espresso powder and milk mixture. Mix in eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in pecans.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls, lightly flouring your hands as needed to prevent sticking. Set balls into miniature muffin tins lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Place into the oven and baked until puffed and set, about 6 to 8 minutes.

cRemove from the oven and quickly, but carefully, press 1 candy piece, top-side down, into each cookie. Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of each individual muffin well, and then gently remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the glaze: In a small bowl, stir espresso powder into 1 tbsp water. Stir in confectioners sugar if it is too thick to drizzle, stir in enough of the remaining tbsp hot water to thin. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Makes 48 cookies.