This coffee house-inspired treat combines the warmth of gingerbread with the bold, rich flavor of coffee. Make them for the coffee connoisseur in your life!Plan ahead. The cookie dough needs to chill for 2 hours minimum before baking. You can make this dough up to 2 days ahead and keep refrigerated. You’ll need 1/4 cup of instant espresso powder for the cookie dough. I use and recommend DeLallo brand or Medaglia D’Oro. Also needed is 1 teaspoon of instant coffee for the icing. I recommend Starbucks Blonde Roast Premium Instant. It has smooth flavor and dissolves well. You could also use the instant espresso powder for the icing, but begin with a much smaller amount than 1 teaspoon. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon for starters, then add more to taste if needed. Yields 16-18 cookies (my batch yielded 16 1/2).
In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter at 100% power until completely melted and hot (about 1 minute, to 1 minute 30 seconds). Immediately whisk in the espresso powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk well until completely incorporated.
Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and salt to the bowl, and whisk to combine, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Whisk well until smooth. Add the flour and mix using an electric hand mixer on low speed. Mix until a thick consistent batter/dough forms. Do not over beat at this stage, or your cookies won't have that crackle on top.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight (and up to 2 days before baking). The chilled dough will be firm and pliable like clay or play-doh.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough by the level 1/8 cup, or 2 tablespoons. Roll into a ball between your palms and place on the parchment sheet. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Bake each pan for 10 minutes. The dough balls will flatten as they bake, and the tops will become cracked. Remove and let cool on the pans until firm enough to transfer to wire racks, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Coffee icing
Put the tea kettle on for the boiling water.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and the instant coffee. When the water boils, add 3 tablespoons of boiling water to the mixture and whisk until the coffee is dissolved and creamy coffee hue is achieved.
Dip a cookie crackled face-down into the icing. Let the excess drip back into the bowl and turn upright. Place on a wire rack and sprinkle a few grains of the coarse sea salt on the cookie before the icing sets. Repeat with the remaining cookies. The icing will want to form a crust if it stands for too long, so use it immediately, or cover it with a damp paper towel to prevent drying.
Allow cookies to stand until the icing sets completely, about 20 minutes. Serve to delighted coffee lovers and gourmands.
Notes
Dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months and thawed in the refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed.This recipe is adapted from a NY Times recipe for Gingerbread Latte cookies by Vaughn Vreeland.