Mocha Fingers

Recipes, ingredients and baking equipment change over the years, but cookies have always been a family favorite at Christmas. Each cookie that we make is a sweet bite of memory, and cookies tell the story of who we are, who we have been, and who we will always be.

The recipe for these “finger” cookies appeared originally in a Special Interest Publication by Better Homes and Gardens, back in 1996. I have a hugh collection of these special publication magazines devoted to Christmas and each year I get them out and look through them for inspiration on baking and cooking for the Holidays. These cookies are not hard to make and they are so good. A little more work to make than a simple drop cookie, but well worth the effort.

Which will it be? In your cup or in a cookie, mocha–a blend of coffee and chocolate–is one of the season’s hottest flavors. It’s a flavor that I particularly love at any time, but around this time of year it seems so right.

These are sophisticated, butter-cream-filled chocolate cookies. Marvelous with a glass of eggnog!

They are not difficult to make–mix up a simple chocolate dough, roll out thin and cut into “fingers” measuring 1 1/2″ x 3″. Once baked two crisp cookies are sandwiched together with a velvety smooth mocha butter cream filling. Really pretty simple, but awesome in flavor!

Warning!! Once you know how to made this mocha butter cream, you’re going to want to find other uses for it.

MOCHA FINGERS

Yield: Makes about 27-28 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick), softened
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg

Mocha Filling:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
1 -2 tsp. milk or light cream as needed

Directions:

1. Into the large bowl of electric mixer, combine butter and sugar, mixing on low to blend. Add egg and continue to mix. Blend in dry ingredients, (flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder). Scrape bowl occasionally and mix until well combined. Note: Chilling the dough is not required, but I find it easier to roll the dough if it has chilled at least an hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

3. On a lightly floured surface, with rolling pin, roll half the dough out into a 9″ x 9″ square, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough into thirds; then cut each third crosswise into nine 3″ x 1″ rectangles. Place cookies about 1 inch apart, on cookie sheets. With a fork, prick each cookie in several places for decoration. Sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired.

Cut dough into rectangles and prick with a fork before baking.

4. Bake cookies 15 minutes or until firm. With a spatula remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. Make Mocha Filling: In a small bowl with mixer on low speed, beat 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, and 2 tsp. espresso powder. Add milk in tiny amounts as needed to get a creamy spreading consistency.