Cookies!! If I am going to indulge in a treat, 9 times out of 10 it will be a cookie. Soft, chewy, preferably under-baked; I am relatively certain I could give Cookie (as in Monster) a run for his money when it comes to my love of them.
So how else would a real-life Cookie Monster celebrate her upcoming birthday??? Well, with cookies of course. Birthday cakes can shove it. I mean they look festive and all, but they are just not my thing, and why try to fit a square peg into a round hole when it comes to celebrating?
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to make these cookies. Um, espresso in cookie batter? As a non-coffee flavoured dessert girl, I was a bit skeptical. Do you know how the Barefoot Contessa likes to add a little to her chocolate cake? Same deal here. Not a coffee-flavoured cookie per se, but just the hint of that flavour gives it a je ne c’est quoi that is nothing short of addicting.
As it is my birthday, and I will cookie if I want to – I thought I would go above and beyond just simple chocolate chunk variety, and really make this a party cookie with the likes of dried cherries, roasted almonds, and of course flaky Maldon salt… salty and sweet; I’d be a fool not to.
C is for “cookie”…. As well as “celebrating”.
Me love cookie.
Cherry Chocolate Almond Cookies
Ingredients
½ cup butter, softened
⅔ cup cane sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup spelt flour
⅔ cup almond flour (or almond meal)
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1½ tsp ground espresso
⅓ cup roasted almonds, chopped
⅓ cup dried cherries
1 85g dark chocolate bar, chopped
Flaky sea salt (like Maldon)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F
In a large mixing bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and continue beating until combined.
In a medium mixing bowl sift together flours, baking soda, salt, and ground coffee. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix together until just combined.
Fold in roasted almonds, cherries, and dark chocolate until just combined.
Scoop 1 Tbsp size balls of dough and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes.
Top with salt and allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
