California Walnut and Espresso Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches
Coffee and walnut are a classic flavour combination, but Edd Kimber has created something truly special with these cookie sandwiches! With crunchy, creamy California walnuts baked into the cookies and to top, and filled with a luscious chocolate coffee ganache, these beauties will have you heading straight back to the biscuit tin for round two… or three, or four…
Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until light and creamy about 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds to combine. Add the flour and salt and mix together just until combined, but not yet forming a ball of dough. Add the California walnuts and mix briefly to distribute evenly. Tip the mixture out onto the work surface and use your hands to bring together as a uniform dough.
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan). Divide the dough into two pieces and wrap in clingfilm, refrigerating for an hour or so until firm. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough between parchment paper until the dough is about 3-4mm thick. Use a 4cm cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible and place them onto a parchment lined baking tray a couple cm’s apart. If the cookies are still firm bake immediately, if not place the trays in the fridge until the discs of dough are firm.
Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes until just starting to brown around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the filling, place the cream and espresso powder into a small saucepan and over medium heat bring to a simmer, whisking to dissolve the coffee. Pour over the chocolate and set aside for a minute or two before stirring to form a silky smooth ganache. Set aside to cool for a while, until thick and a spoonable consistency. Sandwich together two cookies with a little of the ganache.
To decorate, drizzle the finished cookies with a little melted chocolate and sprinkle over a few extra pieces of chopped California walnuts.
Notes
Salt: 0.06g.Kept in a sealed container these cookies will keep for up to three days, but will soften the longer they sit.Recipe developed for California Walnut’s and reproduced with the kind permission of Edd Kimber (Boy Who Bakes).