Name: Sparkling Coffee Snowflakes
Total time: 4 h 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened; 1/2 cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar; 1/4 cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) granulated sugar; 1/2 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips , melted; 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder; 1/2 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white chocolate chip , melted; 1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Why This Recipe Works

Microwaving the chocolate chips for these Sparkling Coffee Snowflakes proved faster and easier than using a double boiler. Turbinado sugar provided a faint molasses flavor and distinctive crunch, while a little espresso powder infused the Sparkling Coffee Snowflakes with the intense flavor of coffee.

Before You Begin

Melt the chocolate, both semisweet and white, by microwaving the chips in small individual bowls until they're smooth, about 1 minute. Turbinado sugar is raw sugar with a faint molasses taste. It comes in large crystals that add crunch and sparkle to the snowflake cookies.

Instructions

MAKE DOUGH Combine flour and salt in medium bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and espresso powder until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

ROLL AND CUT Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll each chilled dough disk into 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Using 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies, gathering and rerolling dough as necessary.

BAKE COOKIES Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets and bake until set, 18 to 22 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

DECORATE COOKIES Drizzle cookies with melted semisweet and white chocolates (see Test Kitchen Technique, related) and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Let sit until chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 4 days.)