I want to introduce you to some of my very best friends – coffee almond cookies are simply the most moorish of moorish cookies! Believe me, once you have your first coffee almond cookie, it’s hard to stop! The texture of these little miracles is wonderful, they just melt away in your mouth but you still have the crunchiness from the almond flakes for perfect balance. They are an unbeatable snack with your finest cup of coffee – to be taken at any time of day that you want to treat yourself!
All you need to do is to follow my carefully explained recipe and video tutorial and perfection will be yours; I’m confident you can do it!
“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand!” 😄
Watch this video tutorial
Do you need a mould?
Ideally, yes, you do although I’m going to show you how to improvise. The standard shape of these cookies is a square. It’s better to have a U-shaped mould before you start because it’s so handy to help you get the perfect square shape effortlessly. It’s very easy to find one online. The dimensions of the mould are shown in the picture below if you want to follow mine exactly although that isn’t essential as any U-shaped mould can do the job.
But … if you ask me, is there any way of making these cookies without using a mould? My answer is … YES!!! Bakabee always has a PLAN B!!
Keep reading and I’ll explain how to use the same recipe to create two alternative designs of this delicious and melt-in-your-mouth coffee almond cookie: the traditional square and the alternative round designs.
Introducing the almonds
In order to achieve our two-ways plan, we need two forms of almonds.
- Almond flakes – this is for the traditional square shape. The edges of the almond create beautiful patterns on the cookies. Love it!!!
- Almond dice – these little niblets stud the outside of the circular variation and taste fantastic!
What makes these cookies sooooo good?
This is one of my signature cookies. They were one of the first cookies I learned to bake and they have been a #1 family favourite ever since. So what makes these cookies so good?
Well, it’s all about the LIGHT BROWN SUGAR.
Using light brown sugar instead of granulated white sugar doesn’t just give you an extra layer of caramelized taste but also gives the cookies a deep golden brown colour so you want to eat them with your eyes first! Just by looking at them, you want to have a bite into it immediately. Give me that coffee … almond … cookie, now!!
Also, I reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe after my initial attempts. I found this amount now is just right for the balance between the sweetness and the coffee taste. For my taste buds, I don’t really enjoy things too sweet sweet … I like a hint of sweet … but we still want a little bit of sweetness to boost our day, am I right? So, if you are the same as me, this is the perfect recipe for YOU! If you like things a little sweeter, you can always adjust.
How to start?
Coffee…of course, it is the STAR of the show … you need to make a coffee paste with just two ingredients. First, boil some hot water and second, your favourite instant coffee powder. That’s it!
As I show in this coffee almond cookie recipe, you’ll need two tablespoons of coffee powder and two teaspoons of BOILING water. Then keep stirring it with a spatula or a spoon until it becomes a paste. If you find any coffee lumps that don’t melt, don’t worry. Try your very best to press, stir or mix it in. Eventually, we’ll remove the lump before it goes into the mixture later. Once you have mixed it, set it aside to cool down.
It’s pretty straightforward and easy, nothing fancy. As I always say: I believe that if I can do it, so can you!
How to make the cookie dough?
- Beat – beat the butter and sugar until they are well combined and the mixture turns pale in colour with a fluffy texture.
- Add – add the egg yolk, vanilla extract and coffee paste and continue to mix them well together with the butter mixture.
- Mix – mix in the flour and baking powder into the wet mixture and mix until the dough is well formed. At this stage, the dough will have an ice cream like texture.
What’s next?
This step will be determined by whether you have a mould or not.
If you have the U-shaped mould …
You simply mix the almond flakes into the coffee almond cookie dough using a spatula and make sure that the flakes are evenly distributed. This will create a beautiful pattern in the cookies when we cut them into slices. Very important step!!
Then, prepare a sheet of parchment paper and put it into the mould. Gently scoop in the dough, using a spatula, and press it into the mould. Gradually add the dough bit by bit until the mould is filled. Remember, you need to press the dough hard enough against the mould in order to create the straight edges and the sharp corners. Once the mould is filled, refrigerate the dough in the mould for 30 to 60 minutes or until the dough is firm.
If you don’t have the U-shaped mould …
You’ll need the following before we start …
- A sheet of parchment paper
- A plate which is wide enough to roll the dough
- Almond dice
- A sheet of cling film
Steps:
- Put the dough onto the parchment and wrap it into a log, 5 cm in diameter.
- Place the almond dice into a plate.
- Unwrap the log and place the whole log onto the almond dice.
- Roll the dough log or sprinkle the almond dice onto the dough. What we want is the dough to be fully coated with the dice.
- Transfer the almond dice dough onto the cling film and wrap it tightly, especially on both ends.
- Roll the dough to be as round and even shaped as you can make it (this will give you consistent size for your cookies) .
- Refrigerate the log for about 20 mins.
Optional step
- If you want to get a round cookie, take the dough out after 20 mins or when it becomes slightly firm. Continue to roll it until it becomes completely round again or you are happy with it. Then put it back in the fridge and chill it for another 20-40 mins or until it is firm enough to hold.
Let’s bake
While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven at 165℃.
After around 60 mins, the dough should now be firm enough to hold but soft enough to cut.
You will now have either a square or round shaped dough stick. From here, the process is the same for both shapes.
Unwrap the dough and cut the cookie in a thickness of 5mm using a sharp knife. Then place each coffee almond cookie onto a non-stick baking tray spaced about 1 to 1.5 cm apart for expansion (social distancing for cookies…).
Bake for about 13 mins, but the exact timing really depends on your oven. You know your oven best, so keep an eye on things for your first bake. I tried to bake mine for about 15 mins once and this was too long for my oven – I found they came out very slightly burnt and they had a little bitter aftertaste. So I shortened my baking time to 13 mins and they came out PERFECT!
What do you need to look out for? When the edges begin to turn slightly darker brown. This is the time to take them out. It can be hard to tell when the cookies are done because the cookie dough is already brown but practice makes perfect!
Cool down
It’s important to cool the cookies on the baking tray for about 10 mins before transferring them on a wire rack. The reason for this is because the cookies are quite soft and delicate once they come out from the oven. If you move them when they are very hot, they can burn your fingers and they might crumble. Be patient – spend 10 minutes just enjoying the amazing aroma in your kitchen. This is also calorie free!
The cookies become harder as they are cool – it is very important to hold on and not to eat the cookies straight out from the oven because you won’t be trying them at their very best.
Leftover dough
This recipe can make roughly 30 to 35 pieces of cookie. If you don’t need that many at once, you can wrap the leftover dough tightly using cling film. I normally wrap it twice to make sure it’s airtight and to avoid it drying out. You can then freeze it for up to two weeks. I confess again, it doesn’t last that long in my house. Check out my 5 baking hacks are really WORKED! Useful tips for home baking video. I show you how to handle the leftover dough in action.
Storage
After cooling, store the cookies in an airtight container, if you can keep your family’s hands off them. They can be kept in a dry cool place for up to a week (but they never last that long in my house).
Pro tips
- Stop the mixer – while you are mixing, remember to stop the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well combined.
- Do not over mix – over mixing the dough will result in a too crumbly texture.
- Use high quality vanilla extract – not essence. It really does affect the taste.
Coffee Almond Cookies
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 150 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 80 g light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pc egg yolk
- 220 g cake flour (sifted)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp instant coffee powder
- 2 tsp hot water
- 50 g almond flakes (choice of yours)
- 80 g almond dice (choice of yours)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the dough
- Mix the instant coffee powder with boiling hot water with a spatula until it turns into a paste-like texture. Set aside.
- Sifted the cake flour and add in the baking powder. Set aside.
- Beat the softened butter until slightly fluffy and pale in colour at medium speed.
- Add the light brown sugar and continue to beat it at medium speed until they are well incorporated. It takes around 3 to 4 mins. Remember to stop the mixer to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well combined.
- Mix the egg yolk to the butter mixture followed by adding the vanilla extract.
- Add the cooled coffee paste into the mixture and mix them well.
- Add the flour mixture into the coffee mixture. Mix them well at low speed until it forms a dough. You will find it is quite hard to mix the dough using the mixer gradually. At this stage, stop the mixer and using a spatula by hand to mix the dough instead. When the dough texture turns into like an ice cream texture, it is done!
With the mould
- Get a U-shape mould and place a sheet of parchment into it.
- Mix in 50g almond flakes into the dough using a spatula. Make sure the flakes are well disturbed.
- Scope the dough and press it into the mould tightly and make sure the dough against the edges of the mould in order to create the straight edges.
- Keep filling up the mould until finishing the dough.
- Smooth out the top of the dough using the spatula.
- Refrigerate the dough with the mould for about 30-60 mins or until it becomes firm enough to hold.
Without the mould
- Prepare a sheet of parchment paper and place the whole dough into it.
- Wrap the dough and roll it out into a big log around 5cm in diameter.
- Place the almond dice into a large plate. It needs to be wide enough for the dough.
- Unwrap the dough and place it onto the almond dice.
- Roll the dough or use your hand to stick the dice onto the surface of the dough. Make sure the almond dice is evenly disturbed. Don't forget the both ends.
- Transfer the dough onto a cling film and wrap it tightly.
- Refrigerate it for around 20 mins. Then take the dough out and roll it until it becomes completely round. Then continue to chill the dough for another 20-40 mins or until it becomes firm enough to hold.
Bake the cookies
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven at 165°C.
- With the mould dough – take the almond flakes dough out from the fridge and lift up the whole dough using the parchment paper. Transfer it onto a chopping board. Cut each slice around 5mm in thickness using a sharp knife. Place each slice onto a non-stick baking tray with 1 to 1.5cm apart.
- Without the mould dough – unwrap the dough and place it onto the chopping board. Cut each slice around 5mm in thickness using a sharp knife. Place each slice onto a non-stick baking tray with 1 to 1.5cm apart.
- Bake the cookies for 13 mins or until the edges turn deep golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit in the baking tray for about 5-10 mins before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
- Store them in an airtight container and keep it in a dry cool place.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
NOTES
- Watch my video tutorial to learn how I exactly make these cookies.
- You can adjust the strength of the coffee according to your preference, if you like.
- Leave me comments if you have any questions.
NUTRITION
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Bake it
Give this recipe a try! Let me know how it goes for you! I love connecting and seeing your pictures. It really makes my day.
Try other tasty recipes for your next bakes
- Coffee Walnut Loaf Cake (video tutorial)
- Dark Deluxe Brownies with Sea Salt Flakes (video tutorial)
- Black Sesame Swiss Roll (video tutorial)
Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you will enjoy this recipe.
If you’ve tried my Coffee Almond Cookies Two Ways recipe, please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what you thought. The more we chat the more I know what recipes I should be making and sharing. If you have any recipe suggestions I would also love to hear them.
Rating the recipe once you’ve made this Coffee Almond Cookies Two Ways recipe may also help other readers decide whether to make my cakes, so I would love it if you could come back and let everyone know what you think.
Happy baking!
