A soft butter cookie infused with coffee flavor and dipped in dark chocolate to create a mocha experience. Encrusted with walnuts to add another layer of flavor and crunch.
Jump to RecipeSimple, Elegant Cookie
The mocha dip cookie is my go-to cookie for many occasions. It’s delicious, relatively easy to make, freezes well, and quick to churn out large batches. They can also be dressed up a number of ways, from various nuts to assorted sprinkles.
Wine Pairing
Original Pairing: Whidbey Island Ruby Port
& Kopke Tawny 10 Year Port
General Pairing: Port, dessert wine, brandy, cream liquor
Full Party Menu
Special Ingredients
Dark Chocolate
The quality of the chocolate used greatly impacts the flavor of this mocha dip cookie. I like Ghiradelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao Chips as they melt well and can temper. The less sugary chocolate provides a nice contrast to the sweetness of the cookie.
Gluten Free alternative
You can use a one-to-one substitute baking flour, add about 1/4 tsp more xanthum to the mix to ensure crumb stays together.
Equipment
Standard cookie-making tools such as a mixer, cookie sheets, parchment paper (or silicon pad), spatula, cooling racks.
For melting chocolate you can use the microwave or a double boiler.
Planning the dish
Make these at least a day ahead so you have time to cool, dip and set properly. I make the cookie base (not yet dipped), well in advance and freeze. Then I dip and set a day or two before the event and store in air tight containers.
Timing the Elements
Week+ Ahead: make the coffee cookie base and freeze
2+ Days Ahead: dip and coat the cookies. Allow time to set (overnight).
1 Day Ahead: once set, store in cool place in airtight container. Best to refrigerate if the room is warm, so the chocolate stays firm.
Day of Event: Plate and serve
Plating Tips
These Mocha Dip Cookies look beautiful lined up on a tray. I often make them with various toppings (nuts, coconut, sprinkles, just chocolate) to create a mixed look.
For the Wine Pairing Dinner, a single cookie was a part of three small desserts presented on a rectangular plate. Mocha Dip Cookie on the left, Mexican Chocolate Mousse in the middle, Toffee Truffle on the right. A bit of mint here and there to offset all the brown.
(see Wares section for plating supplies & ideas)
Pairing Alterations
Coating Options
You can change out what type of coating you dip the cookie in. You can also use candy coating instead of chocolate (no tempering needed). For holidays, I create a “Latte Dip Cookie” by using white candy coating (and some festive sprinkles).
Nut variations
Any toasted and crushed up nut bits work with this cookie. So you can play with different flavors depending on what you are serving. Hazelnuts, pecans, and almonds all taste and look great. Or macadamia nut bits with coconut flakes!
Recipe
Mocha Dip Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temp or softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp instant coffee or instant espresso
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temp
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 12 oz dark chocolate chips, melting wafers, or chopped bar
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts toasted preferrable
Instructions
Cookie Base
- Heat oven to 325 degree. Prepare two baking trays by lining with parment paper or a silicon mat.
- Place softened butter in a stand mixer with a standard mixing paddle. Blend on med-high to break it up a bit.
- Add sugar and mix on med-high for about 5 minutes to get to a stage of light and fluffy. It may take a few minutes longer if your butter is not soft enough, it will eventually get there as the butter warms up and the sugar dissolved.
- Combine the instant coffee with the vanilla extract in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the coffee completely. If the coffee crystals are not fully dissolved, you can add 1/2 tsp more vanilla. Set aside.
- Once butter mixture is ready, turn speed to low and add the egg to mix in well.
- Add the coffee mixture, scraping as much as you can out of the bowl to get all the flavoring.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Give it a stir with a whish to make sure it is well mixed.
- Add about 1/2 cup flour at a time to butter mixture and mix on low until just mixed in. Once all together, turn to med-high speed and mix for a minute. Dough should come together a bit, but remain soft.
- You can refrigerate for a few minute to firm up the dough if it feels too soft to work with. .
- Scoop out about 2 teaspoons worth of dough on a standard spoon and drop the dough onto the baking tray. Shape into a 2″ log or teardrop shape. Cookie will spread, so allow about 2″ between them on the sheet.
- Bake for 8 minutes, check and turn the tray 180 degree and bake for another 4-5 min. If you are baking two trays at once, trade out their positions as well. This is the help cook evenly. They should start to look firm and slightly darker around the tops and edges and mostly the bottom.
- Take out and allow to cool for 5 min, then with a spatula gently remove from tray and onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. If they cookies are really soft, they will need to cook longer. They need to be firm enough to dip, but should be soft in the center.
Dipping and Decorating
- Once cookies are cool, place them in the freezer for 15 minutes. This is to help ensure they are firm for dipping.
- Prepare a dipping station: reline the baking trays with new parchment paper or fresh, clean silicon mats. Have any toppings ready in small bowls.
- Melt about 3/4 f the chocolate (reserve 1/4 for tempering) in a double boiler or microwave. 2 minutes at 50% power. Stir then heat in 30 sec intervals stirring vigorously each time.
- Take chocolate is off heat, while still hot add in the remaining unmelted chocolate and stir vigorously. Once all chocolate is melted, continue to stir and lift to all chocolate t dribble back in bowl to enable it to cool further. When it starts to have a more pudding like and shiny, it is ready for dipping.
- Get out the cookies and holding onto one end, at about 45% angle, dip top third of cookie in the chocolate focusing on the front part to get the coating. Pull cookie out and allow chocolate to drizzle off, gently shaking it.
- Gentle put the top of cookie coated in chocolate into nut mixture. Then place cookie on prepare tray and repeat process. If the nuts are sliding off, you may have too much chocolate. You can also place the cookie on the tray and sprinkle toppings over it.
- Also cookies to cool at room temp to set. Once completely set, store in airtight container with wax or parchment paper between layers of cookies.