Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (250g) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (45g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp (15g) instant espresso powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup (175g) dark chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vodka
  • 24 chocolate-covered espresso beans

Instructions:

  1. Cream the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until the mixture looks pale and fluffy, which usually takes about 3 minutes on medium high speed.
  2. Add the egg, coffee liqueur, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, beating until fully incorporated and the aroma of coffee fills the air.
  3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly add this to the wet ingredients, mixing until just a few streaks of white remain visible.
  4. Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips using a spatula. Keep folding until the chips are evenly distributed through the dark, sticky dough.
  5. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
  6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a scoop to form 24 balls of dough, placing them 2 inches apart.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes until the edges feel set but the centers still look slightly soft and underdone.
  8. While the cookies cool, melt the remaining chocolate chips with coconut oil in 20 second bursts in the microwave. Stir in the vodka until the glaze is glossy and smooth.
  9. Drip a teaspoon of glaze over each cooled cookie. Watch for the glaze to settle into a smooth, dark pool on top of the crackled surface.
  10. Place one chocolate covered espresso bean in the center of the wet glaze. Let the cookies sit for 20 minutes until the chocolate has hardened into a firm, velvety shell.