Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Stars Recipe

Directions

Chronicle Books

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt until the sugar is well mixed in. Add the flour and ground espresso beans and mix until the dough holds together. If necessary, use your hands to gently knead the dough together into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1∕4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a 1½  to 2 inch star cutter. You can reroll scraps and cut out more stars, but take care not to overwork the dough. This cookie will be delicious in many different sizes and shapes, so use whatever shape cutter you prefer and what you’re able to find. If you choose a much bigger cutter, roll out the dough a little thicker. If they are large and too thin, they will break easily.

Carefully place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced about 1 inch apart. Bake for 30 minutes. The tops should look dry and the cookies should be slightly browned. Cool on the baking sheets for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Melt the chocolate slowly in the microwave or over a double boiler until just melted. This is a bit of a shortcut. By very gently melting the chocolate, it’s possible that it will maintain its nice shine and not need to be tempered.

Dip one-third of each cookie into the melted chocolate, then place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If using gold leaf, use a couple of small pieces as garnish and apply them to the soft chocolate.

Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the chocolate hardens. If desired, lightly brush gold luster dust over the hardened chocolate. Store in an airtight container, with parchment paper between layers of cookies, at room temperature for up to one week or in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature before enjoying. If thawing cookies with luster dust, do so gradually, moving them from the freezer to the refrigerator, and then to room temperature.