Coffee Bean Cookies

I think we can all use a little extra get-up-and-go when the holidays arrive. There are gifts to buy, crowds to wade through,  long check-out lines to endure, gifts to wrap, and parties to attend. I don’t know about you, but having a little caffeine in my system gives me an extra ounce of energy and patience to get through it all with a pleasant demeanor.

I can remember when chocolate covered coffee beans were a specialty item that could only be found in coffee houses. These days, you can find them at most grocery stores – I’ve even seen them at Target.  If you can’t find them at your regular grocers, try local coffee houses or places like Earth Fare, World Market, or Whole Foods.

These cookies have the perfect chocolate chip/chocolate coffee bean to cookie dough ratio. Enjoy!

Coffee Bean Cookies

Yield: 4 dozen                                                                                                           [click for printable version]

1 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup chocolate covered coffee beans (I used Pacari brand)

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy; add sugars and beat well. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture.  Stir in chocolate covered coffee beans and semisweet chips.  Cover dough and chill for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drop dough by the heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets.  (These spread quite a bit during baking, so I suggest you follow the teaspoon suggestion.) Bake for 10-11 minutes or until golden.  

4. Let cool on cookie sheets until cookies are rigid enough to transport to a cooling rack.  Let cool completely. 

Tip: Press a few extra chocolate chips and chocolate covered coffee beans into the tops of drop cookies before they bake. This allows the star ingredients to be visible after the cookie is baked.

Serve with  (what else!?) coffee!