Espresso Swirl Cookies
These Espresso Swirl Cookies are easier to make than they look, and are one of my favorite holiday cookies. Vanilla and chocolate sable doughs are rolled together, sliced, and baked!
These are a variation on yesterday’s cookies, and basically I use the same dough but prepare them differently. Kind of like how different pasta shapes and textures yield different experiences, these sort of “taste different” from yesterday’s checkerboard cookies, even though they use the same dough. It’s the different blending patterns of the two. Here’s how to make these cool looking cookies:
Start by making a shortbread cookie dough.
Divide it in half and mix one half with espresso, chocolate, and cocoa powder.
Roll each dough out into a rectangle, then lay them on top of each other and roll it all up like a jelly role.
Slice the roll into individual pieces.
Bake!
Espresso Swirl Cookies
Ingredients
- 15 oz all purpose flour, by weight (3 cups, if measuring)
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 extra large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2.25 tsp instant espresso powder
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate melted
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter to spread around the bowl. With the mixer running, stream in the sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl until combined.
- Remove half of the dough, wrap in plastic and put into the fridge.
- Add the espresso powder, chocolate, and cocoa powder to the remaining dough, and mix to combine.
- Remove the coffee dough from the mixer and place between two pieces of wax paper. Roll it out into a 9×14 inch rectangle. Do the same with the vanilla dough. Refrigerate both doughs on a sheet pan for 1 hour.
- Top one dough over the other, then use a rolling pin to press them together. Very slowly, start rolling the dough up jelly roll style.
- If the dough tears, stop and patch it together. Roll it very tightly and take your time. Once the dough has been rolled up, chill for another 30 minutes to a full hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the dough into sliced cookies (I did somewhere between 1/4″ and 1/8″ thick).
- Place cookie slices on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes, and cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
30 Comments on “Espresso Swirl Cookies”
These look wonderful!
Happy New Year!
Happy holidays to you Joanne. These cookies look fantastic. When I first saw the picture I thought it was gingerbread but very happy to hear it is a caffeine boost cookie, I so need that help!!! Take Care
The cookies looks cool.
These look delicious!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas Joanne!
oooohhh…these are cool, too!! 🙂
Terrific cookie and what a GREAT analogy – comparing it to pasta! Have a great time off and we’ll see you in the New Year!
These look fantastic, Joanne! Perfect Christmas cookie. 🙂 xx
I think I’m getting dizzy, those cookies are swirling around and around my head.
These Espresso Swirl Cookies remind me of a yule log but better :). I just love this recipe. I hope you have an amazing Christmas holiday and a wonderful new year :).
Thanks so much for posting this variation, the spiral looks much more do-able for me. Also I like the addition of the espresso in these cookies. Another one worthy of the holiday cookie tray, thanks for sharing. Enjoy your holiday vacation and see you in the blogosphere in 2012!
These are so pretty and a perfect cookie post for right before Christmas! Have a wonderful and restful Christmas break and see you when you get back!!
Merry Christmas.
I’ve always wondered how the gorgeous swirl cookies were made. Thank you for the great pics to make it look easy! (Although, you are good at making everything look easy! That’s a compliment!)
Fabulous cookies. Enjoy your holiday break and look forward to catching up in the New Year.
Merry Christmas.
🙂 Mandy
We used to call these pinwheels. Put them on a plate with the checkerboards and you have op art! Have a good holiday and a Happy New Year.
So lovely — and a very merry Christmas to you! Hope it’s filled with lots of good eats!