Chocolate Chunk Espresso Slice and Bake Cookies

Shortbread style cookies filled with ground espresso and chocolate chunks, providing a mocha flavor and intoxicating coffee scent! Perfect for your busiest season and baking for a crowd, you can make the dough and keep it in the fridge or freezer until you're ready. Just slice and bake!

This past weekend my future matron of honor (which I first typed as marton of honor, which is funny because her maiden name is Martin – you're welcome, Tegan) drove up from New Jersey to throw Bill and I a wedding shower/housewarming party.

I guess I'm supposed to call it a “Jack and Jill” but my name is not Jill and Bill's name is not Jack so I refuse.

Anyway… she had to wear me down because when she initially asked if she could put something together, I said no. I've never liked the idea of having a bridal shower because it's just plain too girly for me, and I'd say the majority of my friends are men.

Also because I don't like games, and there are usually things like crafts and trivia and blah. And because I didn't want people to be inconvenienced or feel like they have to buy us presents AND come to our wedding, and only a few months apart.

I hate the idea that people feel obligated to spend time with me, or to spend money on me, because:

1) If I were other people, I would keep the time spent with me to a minimum, tbh

2) I just don't want people to spend money on me because it feels frivolous. I'm a grown ass woman and I can buy things if I want them.

Tegan (and another good friend, Kayte, who helped Tegan throw our shindig) oh-so-patiently reminded me that people are coming to our wedding because they love us and they want to celebrate our marriage.

And people will come to our shower for the same reason, and if they choose to bring gifts it's because they want to. And also because there's nothing I can do to stop them.

I relented and then offered to have it at our home, because then there's no expense (there's that damn money factor again) of renting a place, and because we really haven't had anyone over to the house since we bought it in the spring so it's a good excuse to get people over to housewarm it up and whatnot.

It ended up being great! People from different periods in our lives came together (which is my more normal way of saying that worlds were colliding), made friends with each other, ate and drank, and they played some pretty hilarious games – which I enjoyed because I didn't have to participate and got to just watch and drink my wine. Win win.

Despite my awkwardness when it comes to receiving gifts (let alone opening them in front of dozens of people), it was a lot of fun. We got so many thoughtful gifts including handmade mugs from a potter on Martha's Vineyard, carved wood appetizer trays (that ALSO hold your wine!), a family heirloom french rolling pin (I was almost in tears over that one), a dinosaur wine pourer (you heard me), and treats for Penny and the cats.

We also received amazing gifts off of our registry, one of which was an Instant Pot – so now I can be cool and make things like cheesecake in it like the rest of you).

Another win was these cookies. These chocolate chunk espresso slice and bake cookies. I made a batch and brought them to work, and they were gone within minutes. No joke. 

Did I mention that I no longer work there? Nope… nope I didn't. My last day was this past Friday, and I'll move on to my next adventure after the Thanksgiving dust settles.

This means that Bill is going to have to take all the treats I make to his office and report back with feedback. It's my way of getting him roped into the family business.

ANYWAY. The cookies. So I made another batch of them for the party and people loved them. Even my non-coffee drinking friends were in love – so that's saying something.

They have a shortbread consistency and mouthfeel, with a punch of mocha flavor tucked in between those crisp edges. I'd considered making them chocolate slice and bake cookies without the espresso, but what's the fun in that?

There's chocolate in every bite, and all the cookies end up being more or less the same size so you don't have to fight with anyone over who got the bigger cookie from the jar.

Slice and bake cookies are great for the holidays

These are the first “slice and bake cookies” I've put on this blog (some people also call them “icebox cookies”), and I'm shocked. I have so many I need to share, and I've been hoarding them! So this is a promise of more to come.

Preparing cookie dough this way makes you life so much easier during the holidays. You make the dough, roll it into a log and cover it in plastic wrap, and then stick it in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to bake them.

That means if you get a craving, you can slice off and bake just one or two cookies. Or you can make them all at once, but there's no muss or fuss of making the dough because all you have to do it pop them in the oven to bake!

Plus, they don't really spread so you can fit more on a baking sheet than you can with your normal cookies. That means less time baking, and more time getting whatever else it is you need to get done.

Wrap gifts, spend time with loved ones, do some yoga, walk the dog, binge watch the final season of your favorite show… whatever you want.

You see this mug? Another fantastic random gift from a friend. There might not be a more “Leslie” mug out there in the universe. 

Unrelated to absolutely everything else in this post, Tegan introduced me to the cat playing “I spy” video and I can't stop watching it. “I know. You know how I know? Because it's this rug.”

Yes, I'm aware that it's been around for like a decade and I am JUST NOW getting around to seeing it. I've been busy, okay?

Speaking of hilarious, have you seen the trailer for Spies in Disguise? Ohmygod, I cry from laughing so hard every damn time. “I CAN'T NOT LOOK AT YOU.”

Okay, that's enough non sequiturs for one day. It's late Sunday night as I'm writing this and I'm very tired, and I'm starting to get punchy.

Maybe I'll just grab a couple of these cookies from the pantry to perk me back up a little bit while I finish up some editing…

How to store slice and bake cookies

Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Oh, and pro tip: store these bad boys in an airtight container with a handful of espresso beans. It just enhances the mocha aroma, and it makes it an absolutely delightful experience every time you open the container.

You're welcome.

I recommend pairing these with a boozy orange mocha cocktail or a warm mug of hot chocolate made with these peppermint hot chocolate truffle bombs. Or just pair one cookie with another cookie and call it a day. Whatever helps you get through the holidays, my friend.

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Chocolate Chunk Espresso Slice and Bake Cookies

5 from 15 votes

Shortbread style cookies filled with ground espresso and chocolate chunks, providing a mocha flavor and intoxicating coffee scent! Perfect for your busiest season and baking for a crowd, you can make the dough and keep it in the fridge or freezer until you're ready. Just slice and bake!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 28 to 36 cookies, depending on size

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Equipment

• Hand mixer
• Stand Mixer
• Mixing bowls
• Wire cooling racks
• Baking sheets
• Nonstick silicone mat
• Parchment paper (precut)

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (aff link), can substitute 1:1 pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder, freshly ground is best, but instant will work, too
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 ounces chocolate chips, semisweet, bittersweet, or dark chocolate, chopped (I like to use a combo!)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, use a hand or stand mixer (aff link) to cream butter until lighter in color and smooth.
  1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
• Add brown sugar and granulated sugar, and use a hand or stand mixer (aff link) to cream together with butter.
  1/3 cup (73 ⅓ g) light brown sugar

  1/3 cup (66 ⅔ g) granulated sugar
• Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
  1 large (1) egg

  1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (aff link)
• Add espresso powder and salt and beat until combined and fluffy.
  1 tablespoon espresso powder

  Pinch of kosher salt
• Add flour and mix on medium speed until flour is just combined. Your dough will be thick!
  2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• Stir in chopped chocolate on low speed until just combined.
  6 ounces (170 g) chocolate chips
• Turn out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log about 2″ in diameter. Wrap tightly into the plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 2 hours, best overnight. The dough can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or you can also place it in the freezer for up to a month.
• When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°F and prepare two baking sheets with nonstick silicon mats or parchment paper.
• Slice dough into 1/4"-1/2" rounds and place on baking sheets an inch apart (they won't spread).

  Important note:

  The thinner they are, the crispier they will be. If you choose to do 1/2", they will have a shortbread consistency, which is my personal favorite. So choose your cookie thickness based on your preference.
• Bake until they start turning golden brown around the edges, about 16-18 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Tip: Slice a cardboard paper towel tube lengthwise down one side and wrap it around your dough to help it hold it's shape while it's being stored. This works even better if you divide your dough into two portions and use two paper towel rolls, because then they each fit inside the rolls completely.

Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container. Add a handful of espresso beans in there, too for an even bolder mocha flavor!

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 214IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.

Recipe created by Leslie Kiszka