It’s almost September! I think the sort of unspoken rule for this time of year is that after Labor Day, most people start celebrating fall. So consider this the first fall recipe of the year!
It’s been a pretty crazy week so I am very much appreciating this long weekend, and so is the blog. There are a lot of recipes where I wrote down some quick little notes and then had to do something else, so I’m sort of piecing together half finished thoughts. But I’ll get it all figured out and get these recipes our to you ASAP!
I started testing my Halloween recipes last week and it looks like we are going to have SEVEN spooky recipes in October! That will be a new record for recipes published in a month, which is why I have to get a move on. But these are going to be some pretty fun treats so stay tuned!
But for the moment, let’s focus on these cookies. These are pretty hard not to love. Soft and gooey coffee flavored cookies with a cinnamon swirl and a brown butter cardamom icing.
Describe These Cookies to Me
Taste: The most prominent flavor is the bittersweet coffee in the dough, and it’s perfectly complimented by the gooey brown sugar cinnamon swirl in the center. The brown butter cardamom glaze on top adds just the right amount of levity to finish it off.
Texture: The outside of these cookies are crisp and a little chewy, while the inside, is a little softer and gooey. They are especially delicious when served warm right out of the oven while the center is still extra soft.
Ease: These cookies are a little more hands on than a more classic cookie because of the rolling process. This part can be a little tricky but if you are reading the instructions and being careful, it is very doable.
The Dough
These cookies have a dough kind of similar to a snickerdoodle in that we use cream of tartar. This helps give the cookies a little chew. We use salted butter rather than unsalted because I find that it brings out the warmer flavors in these cookies. We also make sure to use a good amount of espresso powder, 2 tablespoons, to give these cookies a nice and strong coffee flavor that can still shine through the other elements.
The Filling and Shaping
This filling is a little different than what you would make for actual cinnamon rolls. It uses cornstarch and flour which help thicken it and allow it to keep shape when baked. In terms of shaping, we roll out the dough, spread the filling on top, roll it into a log, chill it, slice it, and bake. Something to keep in mind with these is that this dough is pretty sticky so we have to make sure to use a lot of flour when we’re rolling and shaping these.
The Glaze
This is a fairly simple glaze but tastes so elegant on top of these cookies. It starts with a little salted butter, which we brown on the stove. Then we whisk in a little sugar and cardamom. Because there is so much butter in the glaze, it sets up when you let it sit. This glaze adds the perfect amount of levity to the whole cookie and adds a delicious finishing touch!
Coffee Cinnamon Roll Cookies with Brown Butter Cardamom Icing
Ingredients
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and espresso powder on medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium high speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick and creamy. Set aside.
- In a small bowl using a rubber spatula, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and cornstarch. The mixture should be a spreadable paste. Set aside.
- Place a large piece of parchment paper on a large work surface and flour it heavily. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out on top of the floured parchment into a 9×13 inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling in an even layer on top. Working slowly and carefully, using the parchment paper to help you, roll the dough up lengthwise into a 13 inch log. It may be a little sticky and messy, I use a floured spatula to help push the dough along. Once rolled into a log, wrap it in cling wrap carefully. Let the shaped dough chill in the refrigerator for 1 ½ hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.
- Unwrap the chilled log of dough and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into circles, about 1 inch thick. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the previously prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until browned on the edges, but still a little gooey in the center. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before glazing.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, keep cooking, stirring frequently, and the butter will begin to sizzle and foam. You will start to see brown specks forming. Once the butter has turned amber brown, remove from the heat and let the butter cool in the pan at room temperature for 10 minutes. Once slightly cooled, stir in the sifted confectioners sugar and cardamom. It may look a little split at first, but keep whisking and it should come together.
- Using a fork, drizzle the glaze over the cookies. I recommend enjoying warm, but the cooled cookies last up to 5 days sealed in an airtight container at room temperature.