Gooey Chocolate Cookies with Candied COFFEE BEANS !!!

OK, there's a secret out there that needs to be spread around...

Chocolate and coffee are an incredible combination.

I want to credit this realization from reading the Coffeee House Mystery  series from Cleo Coyle.  Cleo is on her amazing NINTH book in the series.  Always a fun read, with recipes in the back of each book.  She first suggested coffee in her brownies to me a few months ago.  Sure enough, just that little extra kick really put my brownies over the edge.

How about these fancy pretty colored rocks that are actually Amoretto coated mocha Beans... Yeap, candied coffee beans... OK, here's that fair use and warning the good folks of the US Gov't have asked (ordered) bloggers to do.  I got the beans FREE!!!  BWAHAHAHA FREE I SAY!  Yeap, the truly very good folks at the OH NUTS company contacted me and offered a few pounds of their nuts.  And Oh Boy, did OH NUTS ever come through for me.  I spent a few minutes navigating around their mail order site.  It was very easy to follow and amazing in the amount of products they carry.  Not just nuts (including the very rare unsalted cashews that didn't last long enough in my pantry to make it to any recipes.  Talk about good eats!), anyway, not just nuts, but dried fruits, chocolates, granola, candy and even specialty ice cream.  Take a minute and look over their site.  Very reasonable prices, easy to navigate site and a tremendous selection of bulk and gift items.

OK... The cookies are a pretty basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, just add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the mix.  I like them extra soft and gooey, so I add an extra 2 TBS of butter.  

Here's what I did...  I adapted this recipe from Real Simple Magazine...

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature plus 2 TBS
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound of 

Amaretto Mocha Beans

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Lower to medium speed and add the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until fully incorporated. Fold in the candied beans.
Form the dough into approximately 1 1/2-inch balls. Place on parchment- or foil-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
Bake until the centers are just set, about 8 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

Really and truly... These were a GREAT cookie.  The beans bake and soften as they cook, much more of a chocolate taste than a coffee taste.  

So, thanks for the idea Cleo, and Thanks to Oh Nuts for letting me try something new and fun.

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