This post was sponsored by SCHARFFEN BERGER Chocolate Maker. All opinions expressed are my own.

These soft and chewy gourmet chocolate espresso cookies are made using a chocolate chip cookie base with espresso powder. Craft bean-to-bar SCHARFFEN BERGER Semisweet 62% cacao chocolate baking chunks are folded into this cookie, creating superior and complex flavors, thanks to the fine cacao at the heart of the chocolate.

Melted on top of these chocolate espresso cookies is a coarsely chopped SCHARFFEN BERGER Semisweet 62% cacao chocolate baking bar to elevate the presentation and flavor of this cookie. To top it all off, sea salt is sprinkled on top of these cookies to bring out the well-balanced flavors of the chocolate and espresso.

What is Craft Chocolate?

SCHARFFEN BERGER Chocolate Maker pioneered the American craft chocolate movement and still stands as the richest, most flavorful chocolate. For 25 years, SCHARFFEN BERGER has been crafting fine chocolate from bean-to-bar. The artisan process allows the true flavors of the cacao bean to shine through, instead of being masked by sugar and other unnecessary additives. Visit their website for how to purchase this chocolate and to start baking with this American-made, Rainforest Alliance Certified sustainable chocolate.

Co-Founder John Scharffenberger brought winemaking experience to the table from the very beginning and created truly delicious craft chocolate that balances the flavors of chocolate, fruit, spice, floral, tobacco, leather, woody, and earthy tones. Creating craft chocolate is a complex process that requires skill, and it is all done in Ashland, Oregon.

SCHARRFEN BERGER Chocolate Maker chocolate baking chunks, bars, and cocoa powder can be purchased on their website and shipped directly to your home!

RELATED: Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

What Ingredients are in Chocolate Espresso Cookies?

• SCHARRFEN BERGER 62% Semisweet Dark Chocolate Baking Chunks – these chocolate chunks are folded into the cookie batter so that there is a delicious chocolate chunk in every bite.
• SCHARRFEN BERGER 62% Semisweet Baking Chocolate Baking Bar – this bar gets coarsely chopped and sprinkled onto the tops of the cookies before baking to create a melted and chocolatey top when fresh out of the oven.
• Browned butter – Browned butter brings out a delicious nutty flavor in baked goods. It’s relatively easy to do and it takes less than 10 minutes to fill your kitchen with a buttery nutty aroma.
• All-purpose flour – spooned & leveled. Gently stirring the flour and then spooning it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and leveling it off with the back of a spoon eliminates overpacking the flour in baking recipes by up to 50%! That means less dense cookies and less of a flour taste in recipes.
• Dark brown sugar – it makes a big difference than using light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses and will give the cookie a more complex flavor that will match perfectly with the chocolate used in this recipe.
• Granulated sugar – thanks to granulated sugar this cookie will have edges that are crisp and helps contribute to the chewy texture.

• Eggs – This recipe for chocolate espresso cookies uses 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. The reason for this is to create an extra rich and velvety texture to the cookie. The extra yolk is to thank for the satisfying texture.
• Vanilla extract – use real vanilla extract in this cookie. Paired with SCHARRFEN BERGER Chocolate Maker’s superior chocolate, this cookie will elevate your everyday chocolate chip cookie baking process.
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Espresso Powder – if you can’t get your hands on espresso powder, opt for instant coffee granules. If using instant coffee granules, up the quarter cup to one-third. It takes a little more to match the flavor of espresso powder.
• Sea salt – If this cookie wasn’t already over the top, sprinkling some sea salt fresh out of the oven accents the delicious chocolate flavor.

How to Make Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Make the brown butter – The first step to making these chocolate espresso cookies is to prepare the butter for browning. To do this all you need is unsalted butter, a skillet, and a stovetop burner.

Add the butter to a skillet and turn the burner on low. Once the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium-low and stir the melted butter constantly. Once the butter starts to foam, brown bits will start to form.

Continue stirring until the butter has turned a light caramel color and there is a nutty aroma. Quickly pour the mixture into a heat-safe bowl to prevent the butter from burning in the skillet. Allow the butter to cool before using it to make your cookie dough.

Cream the sugars with the butter- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cooled brown butter together with the granulated and dark brown sugar. Beat until the mixture is well mixed and creamy.

Add the eggs and vanilla – Add the egg and the extra egg yolk one at a time. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until just combined. Avoid overbeating, as this will result in a dense texture for the cookies. The mixture should be frothy.

Sift the dry ingredients – Scoop the all-purpose flour into a measuring cup by using a spoon and level it off without packing it down by using the back of the spoon. Sift the flour together with the espresso powder, salt, and baking soda.

Combine the ingredients – Add a third of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, beating until combined. Continue adding the dry mixture in thirds and beat until just incorporated.

Fold in the chocolate chunks – Gently fold in the SCHARFFEN BERGER Semisweet 62% cacao dark chocolate baking chunks.

Scoop the cookie dough and chill – Scoop the cookie dough by either 1.5 tablespoons or by using a #40 cookie scoop. Transfer the prepared cookie dough to the refrigerator and chill for at least thirty minutes. You can chill overnight but allow the cookie dough to sit out on the counter for 15-20 minutes before baking if you do this.

Bake the Chocolate Espresso Cookies – Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet and give two inches of space between each cookie. Flatten the cookies with the back of a spoon slightly and press coarsely chopped SCHARFFEN BERGER Semisweet 62% cacao chocolate into the tops of the cookies.

Bake for ten to twelve minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the tops with the desired amount of sea salt (a little goes a long way!) Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Store the baked chocolate espresso cookies in an airtight container for maximum freshness. This cookie dough can be frozen for up to three months! Allow the dough to come to room temperature for about twenty minutes before baking.

This post was sponsored by SCHARFFEN BERGER Chocolate Maker. All opinions expressed are my own.