Cocoa, instant coffee, and a chocolate filling create an aromatic combination sure to please lovers of more intense Christmas cookies. These delights consist of two small cocoa dough pieces joined together with a smooth cream.
Their preparation is not complicated, but you do need to let the filling cool before assembling. You can drizzle the finished cookies with chocolate and decorate them with a drop of white chocolate and a red alginate fruit, if you like. These delights are perfect for the holiday table, as an edible gift, or as a sweet treat with coffee or hot cocoa.
What You’ll Need
For the dough:
- 130 g plain flour,
- 50 g powdered sugar,
- 100 g butter,
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder,
- 1/2 teaspoon fine instant coffee,
- 1 egg yolk.
For the chocolate-coffee filling:
- 30 g coffee cream,
- 100 g cooking chocolate,
- 50 g Omega or other solidified fat,
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee,
- 20 g sugar.
For finishing:
- chocolate to taste,
- white chocolate to taste,
- red alginate fruit to taste.
The original recipe does not specify exact amounts for the finishing ingredients, so adjust according to the number of cookies baked and your chosen decoration style.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the dough: Place the plain flour, powdered sugar, softened butter, cocoa powder, fine instant coffee, and egg yolk in a bowl. Mix everything thoroughly until you have a smooth, evenly colored dough with no visible pieces of butter.
2. Shaping the cookies: From the prepared dough, form small shapes of roughly the same size so they can be easily paired later. Work carefully and place each piece with a little space between them on a greased baking sheet.
3. Baking: Put the tray in a preheated oven and bake the cookies. The original recipe does not specify the exact temperature or baking time, so keep an eye on them based on the size of your pieces and your oven’s characteristics. Let the baked cookies cool before filling.
4. Melting the filling base: Meanwhile, prepare a water bath and gently melt the Omega or other solidified fat in it. Heat gently so the ingredients melt evenly and the mixture does not burn.
5. Completing the filling: Add the cooking chocolate, coffee cream, instant coffee, and sugar to the melted fat. Stir continuously until all the ingredients combine and you have a smooth chocolate-coffee filling.
6. Cooling the filling: Remove the finished filling from the heat and let it cool. Stir occasionally as it cools to keep the consistency even. Use it for assembling when it is no longer hot and holds well between two cookies.
7. Assembling: Pair the cooled shapes into similar-sized pairs. Spread an appropriate amount of filling on one piece, cover with the second, and gently press together. Continue until all the cookies are assembled.
8. Decorating and setting: Let the assembled delights cool. If you wish, drizzle them with chocolate and decorate with a drop of white chocolate and a red alginate fruit. Before serving, wait until the filling and any glaze have set completely.
How to Recognize the Right Filling Consistency
Freshly prepared chocolate mixture may be too runny for assembling, so let it cool and stir occasionally as it sets. It is ready when you can spread it on a cookie and, after covering with the second piece, it doesn’t ooze out the sides.
If the filling is still too thin, give it more time to cool. The exact time depends on the temperature of the mixture and the environment, so judge mainly by its consistency.
Baking Without a Set Temperature and Time
Because the original recipe does not specify a particular temperature or baking time, it is not advisable to guess these as fixed values. Watch the cookies as they bake, considering their size, thickness, and how your oven bakes.
Make the shapes the same size so they bake evenly and can be easily paired. Remove them from the tray carefully and let them cool completely before filling.
Final Tip
You can serve the delights without any extra decoration, or give them a festive look with a chocolate glaze, a drop of white chocolate, and a red alginate fruit. The bold combination of cocoa, coffee, and chocolate pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa.
