These coffee biscuits are the perfect celebration of coffee. This recipe is made from an espresso and walnut shortbread sandwiched together with a coffee chocolate ganache, the ultimate duking delight.
This is the perfect buttery biscuit recipe to make and keep in your cookie jar year-round because coffee (or chocolate!) doesn't have a season!
If you love coffee-flavored bakes, try out these other great recipes for Mocha Cupcakes or make this Coffee Buttercream which you can use on your favorite cakes and cupcakes.
Ingredients
To make these coffee biscuits you will need the basic ingredients listed below. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients.
- Unsalted butter
- Castor sugar
- Cake flour
- Salt
- Extra-large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Walnuts
- Ground espresso granules
- Milk chocolate
- Heavy cream
- Instant coffee
Extra-large eggs - an extra-large egg weighs about 56 grams without its shell. So, if you don't have extra large eggs, weigh the eggs you do have and adjust the amount accordingly.
Ground espresso granules - espresso granules are added to the cookie dough, choose a good quality non-dissolving coffee granule. I use Illy ground espresso.
Heavy cream - also called whipping cream, and not to get confused with double thick cream. This cream has about 34% fat and is ideal to use for whipping and different types of ganache.
Milk chocolate - choose a bar of great-tasting quality milk chocolate for the ganache as this will greatly affect the taste of the biscuits. Cheap cooking chocolate is not a good option. For this recipe, I used Cadbury milk chocolate. You could also use good-quality chocolate chips.
Instant coffee - you will need instant dissolvable coffee for the ganache. Choose a quality, great-tasting, and strong-flavored instant coffee like Nescafe Gold or something similar.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the instructions below to make this coffee biscuit recipe. First, you will be making the cookie dough, allowing it to chill, then making the ganache and baking the cookies.
STEP 1: Cream butter and sugar. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
STEP 2: Add the eggs and vanilla. First, add the whole egg to the creamed mixture with the motor running, and beat until combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl and beat again. Then add the egg yolk and vanilla then beat until well combined.
STEP 3: Add the dry ingredients. Sift together the flour and salt and add this flour mixture to the biscuit mix all at once. Mix on medium-low speed until just combined.
STEP 4: Add the walnuts, and espresso granules. Add the chopped walnuts, and espresso granules to the biscuit mixture and mix until just combined. Remove the dough from the bowl, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
STEP 5: Make the ganache. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Remove from the heat and add the instant coffee, stir until dissolved. Pour the coffee cream over the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. Stir until the chocolate is melted, and set aside to thicken.
STEP 6: Roll. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out to ½ cm ( ¼ inch) thickness on a floured surface using a rolling pin. Cut out the cookies using a cookie cutter, for this recipe I used a round 7cm (3inch) diameter cutter.
STEP 6: Bake. Place the cut dough circles onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
STEP 7: Decorate. Once the ganache has thickened and is pipeable, add it to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle. Pipe a swirl of ganache onto half of the biscuits and top with the other half of the biscuits. Serve and enjoy!
Hint: Do not pipe the ganache until it has thickened otherwise expect a disaster. You can quicken the thickening time by placing the ganache in the fridge to firm it up. It must be able to hold its shape before adding it to a piping bag.
Variations
If you don't have walnuts, you can use pecans or hazelnuts instead. Both work well with this recipe.
Equipment
To make the cookie dough I recommend using a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer. Alternatively, you could make this dough recipe in a food processor.
You will also need a cookie cutter, disposable piping bag, and piping nozzle.
Storage
After baking and filling these cookies, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days. I do not recommend freezing these cookies after filling them.
For freezing, the cookie dough can be frozen before baking. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months and bake them at a later date. Thaw the dough in the fridge overnight before using. I do not recommend freezing cookies that have already been frosted.
Top tips
- Test the actual temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer.
- If you don't have a thermometer and don't trust your oven set the temperature to 20 degrees less than the recommended temperature, cookies can burn easily.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.
- Allow the ganache to thicken properly before piping, otherwise, the swirls won't hold their shape.
FAQ
An extra-large egg weighs about 56 grams without its shell. So, if you don't have extra large eggs, weigh the eggs you do have and adjust the amount accordingly.
If you have followed this recipe properly, all you have to do is be patient. It will thicken and then be ready for piping, don't use it while it is still runny.
These cookies are perfect for dipping into your morning cup of coffee, a real weekend treat!
Please let me know if you give the recipe a go by commenting on this blog post below, I would love to hear from you!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Coffee Biscuits
Equipment
- 2x cookie sheet pans
Ingredients
Walnut & Espresso Biscuits
- 200 grams unsalted butter
- 100 grams castor sugar
- 350 grams cake flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 extra-large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 80 grams walnuts, chopped
- 1 tbsp espresso granules
Coffee Chocolate Ganache
- 200 grams milk chocolate, chopped
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon instant coffee
Instructions
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- First, add the whole egg to the creamed mixture with the motor running, and beat until combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl and beat again. Then add the egg yolk and vanilla then beat again.
- Sift together the flour and salt and add this to the egg and sugar mixture at once. Mix on medium-low speed until just combined.
- Add the chopped walnuts, and espresso granules to the biscuit mixture and mix until just combined. Remove the dough from the bowl, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
- To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Remove from the heat and add the instant coffee, stir until dissolved. Pour the coffee cream over the chopped chocolate, stir until the chocolate is melted. Set aside to thicken.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out to ½ cm ( ¼ inch) thickness on a floured surface. Cut out the cookies using a cookie cutter.
- Place the cookies onto a lined baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
- Once the ganache has thickened and is pipeable, add it to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle. Pipe a swirl of ganache onto half of the biscuits and top with the other half of the biscuits. Serve and enjoy!
L says
Excited to try out this recipe! 😀
One question before I do:
Should the butter be room temp? Softened? Cold? Thanks for the clarification!
withlovekitty2020 says
I'm so glad you're excited to try these out! I take the butter out the fridge about an hour or two before I start baking, depending on the weather. You don't want it cold or super soft.
Cristina says
Hello Kitty
Thank you very much for sharing with us your lovely recipe.
Is the perfect recipe I was looking for.
withlovekitty2020 says
Hi Cristina
Thank you so much for your comment, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!