We’re huge fans of cookies. We like just about any kind of cookie you can bake, but we’re especially fond of the larger, typically American cookies. These delicious Hazelnut Espresso Chocolate Cookies definitely fall into that category. If you like your cookies a bit bigger as well, you’ll love these too. They taste outstanding and are straightforward to make. What more could you want from a cookie?
Chocolate chip cookies are among our absolute favorites when it comes to typical American cookies. That doesn’t mean they’re the be-all and end-all, though. There’s always room for improvement. For example, adding some chopped nuts to the dough makes cookies like that even better. And it’s so easy. If you lightly toast the nuts beforehand and then add some espresso powder to the dough, you’ll get cookies like these here that are simply better than anything else.
Toasting nuts brings out their maximum flavor. If you incorporate unroasted nuts into a dough, they will absorb some heat, which will get you a few roasting flavors, but it’s nowhere near as much as you can achieve by roasting them beforehand. So, if you like using nuts in your recipes, this simple pre-roasting step can often elevate the result to a whole new level. Or, to put it simply – it just tastes better and you will thank the person who did it first… centuries ago, I guess.
The second important, and perhaps somewhat unusual, ingredient for chocolate chip cookies is the espresso powder in the dough. It certainly adds a light coffee flavor to the cookies, but that’s not its primary purpose. Whenever you use espresso or coffee powder in a chocolate-based pastry, it’s primarily to enhance the chocolate’s flavors. I have no idea how it works chemically, but the coffee flavors support the chocolate flavors and make them a little more intense.
Auntie »AI« says that […] both foods (coffee and chocolate) share similar roasted flavors that complement and enhance each other. Coffee contains compounds like pyrazines, which are also found in cocoa. Furthermore, coffee’s bitter notes balance the sweetness of the chocolate, while darker coffee roasts accentuate natural chocolate notes through caramelization (Maillard reaction). […] Okay, so now we know why that is. ;P
If you’re wondering why the cookie dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for so long – it’s primarily for the texture of the cookies… and also to subtly influence their flavor.
Many will know that baking powder starts reacting in dough very quickly. When baking powder or baking soda comes into contact with moisture, it releases CO₂ and loosens the dough through gas formation. However, this isn’t necessary or even desirable for these cookies. The cookies should be compact and chewy after baking. So, if you leave the dough in the fridge overnight, most of the gases will escape, but (and this is a big BUTT) this process also affects the flavors of the cookies. The longer resting time simply makes them taste more intense and better in the end. Small cause, big effect, you could say…
Anyway. If you, like us, are into these large cookies, you’ll find plenty more recipes for those here on the blog. We really have published a lot over the last few years. Our Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are definitely worth a try! They’re made with browned butter – another little hack to get more flavor into baked goods. You should certainly give them a go!
If you’re active on social media, you might have already noticed the hype surrounding Crumbl Cookies. These cookies have taken America by storm. Of course, we got something similar here on the blog as well – our Crumbl Style Tiramisu Cookies. Those Crumbl cookies are typically simple and large cookies, but they often get a generous topping and decorations. In the case of the Tiramisu Cookies, it’s a delicious mascarpone cream, of course.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(12-13 cookies)
3.5 oz. (100g) hazelnuts (skin on), toasted
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) water
2 1/2 tbsp. rapeseed oil*
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. instant espresso powder*
4.2 oz. (120g) semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
some flaky sea salt* (optional)
(12–13 Cookies)
100g Haselnüsse (mit Haut), geröstet
100g Zucker
100g brauner Zucker
80ml Wasser
2 1/2 EL Rapsöl*
1 TL Vanille Extrakt*
300g Mehl (Type 405)
2 TL Backpulver
1 TL Natron
1 TL Instant Espressopulver*
120g Zartbitterschokolade, grob gehackt
einige Meersalzflocken* (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Add the hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and toast them for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Take the nuts out of the oven and let them cool down. Rub them with a kitchen towel to remove most of the skins, then chop half of them roughly and mix the other half in a mixer to get ground hazelnuts.
2. Add both sugars, water, oil, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and mix until well combined. In a second bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and the ground hazelnuts. Add these dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add most of the roughly chopped hazelnuts and chocolate (keep some for the decoration) and fold in. Cover the bowl and place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 12-13 portions and shape each one roughly into a ball. Place them with enough space in between on the baking sheet (keep the rest in the fridge) and decorate with the chopped nuts and chocolate you kept on the side. Sprinkle with some flaky sea salt (optional) and bake for about 12 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool down on the baking sheet for some time, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool down completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
1. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Die Haselnüsse auf ein Backblech geben und etwa 10–12 Minuten im vorgeheizten Ofen rösten, bis sie goldbraun sind und duften. Die Nüsse aus dem Ofen nehmen und abkühlen lassen. Mit einem Küchentuch abreiben, um einen Großteil der Schalen zu entfernen, dann etwa die Hälfte grob hacken und die andere Hälfte in einem Mixer zu gemahlenen Haselnüssen verarbeiten.
2. Beide Zuckersorten, das Wasser, Öl und Vanille Extrakt in eine große Schüssel geben und gut verrühren. In einer zweiten Schüssel Mehl, Backpulver, Natron, Espressopulver und die gemahlenen Haselnüsse vermischen. Diese trockenen Zutaten dann in die Schüssel mit den feuchten Zutaten geben und alles gut vermengen. Den Großteil der grob gehackten Haselnüsse und Schokolade (ein wenig für die Dekoration zurückbehalten) dazugeben und unterheben. Die Schüssel abdecken und den Teig mindestens 2 Stunden (oder über Nacht) in den Kühlschrank stellen.
3. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen. Den Teig in 12–13 Portionen aufteilen und jede Portion grob zu einer Kugel formen. Mit ausreichend Abstand zueinander auf das Backblech setzen (den Rest wieder in den Kühlschrank stellen) und mit den verbliebenen Nüssen und der Schokolade dekorieren. Alles mit etwas grobem Meersalz bestreuen (optional) und die Cookies dann etwa 12 Minuten backen. Die Cookies aus dem Ofen nehmen und auf dem Backblech etwas abkühlen lassen, dann auf ein Kuchengitter setzen und komplett auskühlen lassen. Den ganzen Prozess mit dem verbliebenen Teig wiederholen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Hazelnut Espresso Chocolate Cookies
- Prep Time: 0015
- Cook Time: 00:24
- Total Time: 04:00
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Crispy, chocolatey, and infused with a hint of espresso – these Hazelnut Espresso Chocolate Cookies are the perfect treat for coffee and chocolate lovers. Easy to make and irresistibly delicious!
Ingredients
3.5 oz. (100g) hazelnuts (skin on), toasted
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) water
2 1/2 tbsp. rapeseed oil*
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. instant espresso powder*
4.2 oz. (120g) semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
some flaky sea salt* (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Add the hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and toast them for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Take the nuts out of the oven and let them cool down. Rub them with a kitchen towel to remove most of the skins, then chop half of them roughly and mix the other half in a mixer to get ground hazelnuts.
2. Add both sugars, water, oil, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and mix until well combined. In a second bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and the ground hazelnuts. Add these dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add most of the roughly chopped hazelnuts and chocolate (keep some for the decoration) and fold in. Cover the bowl and place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 12-13 portions and shape each one roughly into a ball. Place them with enough space in between on the baking sheet (keep the rest in the fridge) and decorate with the chopped nuts and chocolate you kept on the side. Sprinkle with some flaky sea salt (optional) and bake for about 12 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool down on the baking sheet for some time, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool down completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Notes
Let’s get baking!
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