Best Friends Cookies
Editor's Note: When you think of classic flavor combinations, you likely think of chocolate and peanut butter, cookies and cream, or blueberry and lemon. But what about malt and coffee? If you're looking for a way to shake up your cookie-baking routine, then this recipe for Best Friends Cookies needs to be on your radar. Although the title of this recipe refers to malt and coffee, you'll feel inspired to make a batch of these cookies to share with your own best friend. Just remember these cookies need time to dry out.
WHEN I RODE A motorcycle, I'd head up to Milwaukee on a day off and stop at Fuel Café. It was there that I encountered a malted espresso drink. I already loved both malt and coffee, and there they were together, the malt balancing the harshness of the coffee. I had discovered best friends in the flavor department. Now I use this combination all the time. Adding a spoonful of caramel sauce to the milk chocolate hot fudge is optional, but if you have some left over from another recipe, use it. It cranks up the malt and rounds out the coffee even more. These cookies are great alongside ice cream. Or dip them in chocolate for a polished look.
Makes20 cookies
Cooking MethodBaking
CostInexpensive
Total Timehalf-day
Make Ahead RecipeYes
Kid FriendlyYes
One Pot MealYes
OccasionBuffet, Casual Dinner Party, Cocktail Party, Family Get Together
Recipe CourseDessert
Taste and TextureSweet
Type of DishCookie, Dessert
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Malted Milk Chocolate Hot Fudge, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Caramel Sauce, at room temperature (optional)
- 2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals (such as Folgers)
- 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract (optional)
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 275 degrees F. Have a couple of half sheet (13 by 18-inch) nonstick pans ready or line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
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To make the chocolate swirl:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the hot fudge on medium-high speed until lighter in color, approximately 4 minutes. Beat in the caramel. Transfer to a bowl and leave at room temperature while you make the meringue. Clean out the stand mixer bowl well, ensuring that there is no residual oil.
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To make the meringue:
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In a heatproof bowl that fits over a pot for a double-boiler setup, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt to break them up. Put the bowl over (but not touching) barely simmering water in a pot and warm the egg white mixture, whisking often, to the temperature of a scalding bath, approximately 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and dry the bottom with a kitchen towel.
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Pour the warmed egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high until the whites have cooled and the meringue is thick and shiny, approximately 5 minutes. Add the instant coffee and extract and whip on low speed just to combine, 10 seconds.
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Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the hot fudge into the meringue to form a swirl. The chocolate needs to be incorporated enough so that it doesn't bleed out of the cookies as they bake but not so incorporated that the meringue loses the swirl completely.
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Using two spoons, portion the meringue into 1 1/2- to 2-inch blobs onto the prepared pans, about 10 cookies per pan. Bake for 2 hours. Turn the oven off and let the cookies cool in the oven to dry out completely, at least 1 hour or overnight (just remember they are in there before cranking up the oven again).
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The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, depending on the humidity level in the room.
2015 Mindy Segal
