White Chocolate Chunk Espresso Cookies

White Chocolate Chunk Espresso Cookies - made February 22, 2010 from Baking Addicts Anonymous group on Facebook

These are good, basic, fudgy cookies with a twist of espresso flavor. I found this from my Baking Addicts Anonymous group on Facebook. Someone had adapted a couple of different recipes to make this one. I didn't follow it exactly as I didn't have espresso powder so I used ground coffee crystals instead and pulverized them to coffee dust with my marble rolling pin. I also cheated and used white chocolate chips instead of cutting white chocolate into chunks. I had a slab of white chocolate I could've used but I was both rushed and lazy when I made the dough yesterday so I used the chips instead.

This was pretty easy to make but, as I do with all cookie doughs, I portioned them into generous-sized dough balls and put them in the freezer first to firm up. Then I placed them in a ziploc freezer bag and let them freeze overnight before baking them off tonight. I find it's easier that way. If you bake cookies straight from the mixing bowl into the oven without freezing them first, they tend to spread more. I rarely bake off cookie dough as soon as I make it. I prefer to freeze them first and bake them later at my convenience. The recipe said to bake them for 8 minutes but that wasn't long enough with my oven as the center was still raw cookie dough then. I baked them for about 10-11 minutes but that's also because I had made them into sizable cookie dough balls. They came out with crisp edges and chewy middles - just the way I like them.

2 c all-purpose flour
½ c cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda½ tsp salt
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 large egg + 2 egg yolks, room temperature
¾ c granulated sugar
¾ c packed light brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz white chocolate, chopped into ¼ - ½ inch chunks
1 c coarsely chopped lightly toasted pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.* Line baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together first five ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside. In another bowl, stir together instant espresso, egg and yolks. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg mixture in two portions; mix first portion until incorporated, before adding next portion. Add vanilla. Scrape down sides of mixer bowl, as necessary. At low speed, add flour mixture in small batches, mixing until almost (but not) combined. Do not overmix. Add chopped white chocolate and chopped pecans. Pulse mixer on high three to four times to mix.Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop balls of dough and place 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until edges are set but centers undone, about 8 minutes (turn sheets halfway into baking time).* Do not overbake, as the cookies will harden too much. Cool on baking sheets for about 3 minutes, before carefully transferring to a wire rack. Domed, moist centers flatten slightly and become fudgy when completely cool, about an hour.* Notes: Temperature and baking time are for convection ovens. For conventional ovens, increase heat to 400°F and bake for the same length of time.