Nuts in cookies. Cookies with nuts.
Few things ruin a bite of a warm, chewy cookie faster than sinking your teeth into a rock-hard nut.
Clorox and rubber gloves.
Empty wine bottles.
Baked goods without butter.
Compromise.
Broccoli. (Yes, I’ve tried roasting it.)
Cookies with nuts tend to sit somewhere on that list. Brownies with nuts do, too.
It’s not that I dislike pecans, walnuts or peanuts — they have their place. It’s just that a cookie isn’t usually it. Trust me.
But I made cookies that shifted my opinion. Think: mocha almond fudge ice cream. I’m not a huge fan of nuts in ice cream either, yet these cookies won me over.
Don’t like coffee? Me neither. If it seems like I combined a bunch of things I’m not crazy about to make these cookies, well — you’re right. And somehow it works.
Bottom line: I enjoy these cookies the way I enjoy Brussels sprouts with bacon or the odd pleasure of inhaling beer bubbles — not perfect at first glance, but finishing exactly how I want.
Mocha Almond Fudge Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
- Add the chopped almonds and cinnamon to a dry saucepan and toast over low–medium heat, watching carefully and shaking the pan occasionally. This takes less than 10 minutes; remove them once fragrant and lightly browned.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, baking soda and salt, then add to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Fold in the toasted almonds and chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2–4 hours to firm up and develop flavor.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the dough into balls and arrange them on a baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain soft. Allow cookies to cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
There you have it: chewy, rich cookies with toasty almonds and a deep mocha-fudge flavor. Enjoy.