Gingerbread Latte Cookies By Vaughn Vreeland

Biting into one of these cookies is like taking the first sip of a festive beverage, and their spiced coffee fragrance gives your kitchen cozy holiday vibes. A combination of fresh and ground ginger adds an extra note of warmth that accentuates the coffee flavor and other spices, while the espresso-sugar coating creates crisp edges that yield to pillowy-soft interiors. Pair it with your milk of choice and you have a gingerbread latte in a single bite.

Ingredients

Yield: About 18 cookies

35 minutes, plus 2 hours’ chilling

For the Cookies

• ¾cup/168 grams unsalted butter
• ¼cup/22 grams espresso powder
• 1tablespoon/17 grams finely grated fresh ginger
• 2teaspoons ground ginger
• 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼teaspoon ground clove
• ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
• ½cup/107 grams dark brown sugar, packed
• ¼cup/80 grams unsulphured molasses
• 1teaspoon kosher salt
• 1large egg
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 2cups/252 grams all-purpose flour

For the Coating

• ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar
• 2teaspoons espresso powder
• ½teaspoon ground ginger

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

1. Step 1

   Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium. When it begins to bubble and get foamy, remove from the heat and whisk in the espresso powder, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Scrape the butter mixture into a medium mixing bowl and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Add the sugars, molasses and salt to the bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. Add the egg, vanilla and baking soda and continue whisking until the mixture appears smooth and it’s the consistency of thin pancake batter, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until evenly incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before baking.

3. Step 3

   Heat oven to 375 degrees, with racks on the lower and upper thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare the coating by combining the granulated sugar, espresso powder and ground ginger in a small bowl.

4. Step 4

   Using a 2-tablespoon (1 ounce) scoop, scoop the dough and, using your hands, roll into walnut-size balls. (Alternatively, for each cookie, use a tablespoon measure to scoop 2 tablespoons dough and roll them into a ball.) Toss in the sugar mixture to coat.

5. Step 5

   Place the portioned dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake, rotating the sheets on the racks halfway through, until the cookies have spread slightly and appear craggy on the surface, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cookies will flatten once cooled.) These cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days (if they last that long).

Tip

• Portioned dough can be frozen in balls, then coated and baked for about 13 minutes.