As much as I love coffee, I tend not to make a lot of coffee-flavored sweets.  This is because I usually like to eat my cookies/cake/etc. with a cup of coffee, and I am more than happy to have chocolate, vanilla or another flavor take center stage in a baked good. After this batch of cookies, however, I may have to reconsider my policy.
These Cafe Latte Cookies are also known as Brazilian Coffee Cookies, according to the original recipeI found (no explanation offered for that name, however), are delicious. The cookies are not too sweet, with a good coffee flavor. I added a tiny hint of cinnamon to the dough and the overall effect reminded me strongly of a good latte or other basic coffee drink (hence my name for these cookies). Texture-wise, they are tender and crisp at the edges immediately after baking, but become chewier after they have cooled. They can be stored for a few days in an airtight container if necessary.
You may have noticed that there are dark, chocolaty specks in the cookies pictured above. They’re not chocolate, though. The specks are actually undissolved coffee crystals. Instant coffee is very convenient for flavoring baked goods, but the coffee powder needs to be dissolved in a warm liquid before you incorporate it into the batter. Since I simply stirred them in along with the flour, my cookies have specks. I like the textured look it gives to the cookies, which is far more visually appealing than a very plain looking cookie to my eye. If you want to eliminate them, simply heat the milk and dissolve the crystals before adding them. The cookies will be very similar in flavor, either way.
Cafe Latte Cookies
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, coffee powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir the flour mixture into butter mixture.
Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls, forming 1-inch in diameter mounds, on the baking sheet.
Bake until cookie are golden at the edges, about 8-11 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.
Chubbypanda
July 18, 2007I imagine the specks will taste like little coffee ‘splosions.
JEP
July 18, 2007Love this new cookie creation!
Elizabeth
July 18, 2007Could espresso powder be used instead of instant coffee?
ching
July 18, 2007what type of instant coffee powder do you use for the cookies? those 3-in-1 type???
ashley
July 19, 2007those cookies sound pretty intriguing! i didn’t used to like coffee flavoured things that much but i’m finding i do more now.
Benedicta
July 19, 2007When I use instant coffee, I usualle simply grind it in a mortar and then use it with the flour.
@Elizabeth: if you use expresso powder (i.e. finely ground coffee beans), you have to filter the milk to get rid of the small coffee crumbs. I is possible, though. (Tried it with coffee flavoured ice cream, where I cooked the coffee with the milk and then sieved it through a cheesecloth).
marye
July 19, 2007That looks so good…I wonder if coarse grinding coffee beans and adding them with the flour would be too much texture or just really nice?
Anyway..they look great
Mala
July 19, 2007Amazing … Thank you for sharing.. I will try atleast one:) gr8 mouthwatering recipes like cakes, cookies …..
alex
July 21, 2007basically this is the same recipe for the secret neiman marcus cookies.
just sayin’ …
Joyce
July 21, 2007I just recently discovered your site and this is the first recipe I tried. It was very easy and turned out beautifully. Thank you so much.
Sophia
September 29, 2007I have made these three times and they always turn out as balls. I wonder why.
Panu
February 28, 2009I made two batches of these today, one just as in your recipe and another with just a little bit of the flours substituted with cocoa powder, just to give it a nice brown look and a bit of chocolate to the taste. Both turned out just wonderful, though I must say I liked the cocoa powdery ones better. Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Ella
August 17, 2009These were absolutely incredible. Like another viewer, I added a little cocoa powder.. personal taste. I enjoy chocolate. Ha. Thank you for this.