Cinnamon-Mocha Dolce de Leche Bites

Cinnamon-Mocha Dolce de Leche Bites
Makes 48 cookies

Pondering the second batch of post-chili cookies, I conjured up every Mexican sweet I’d ever had: Flan, covered in caramel. Tres Leches cake, spongy and soaked with dulce de leche. Mexican hot chocolate or coffee, made piquant with cinnamon. And though I swear I do value my sense of proportion and ability to practice restraint, I really didn’t want to pick any one of these flavors.

So using a simple, butter-sugar-egg-flour refrigerator dough (note: refrigerator doughs have to chill for at least an hour before you use them!) that could stand up to all my extras, I proceeded to dissolve espresso powder, sift in cinnamon, chop dark chocolate chips into shards, and sprinkle in some caramel-like toffee bits. In the finished product, some of the flavors hit you together, and some flood in succession. I think these are best the day after they’re made. Read the original post here.

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) butter
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 egg
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips (measured, then chopped)
¼ cup heath bar bits (use any kind of caramel candy)

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, and espresso powder until the espresso is dissolved and the texture is creamy. Beat in the egg until smooth again. In a separate bowl, stir together the cinnamon, flour, and salt, then add them to the butter mixture, stirring only until combined. Toss in the chocolate and the heath bar bits, mixing until well-distributed.
Break the dough into two semi-equal pieces. Roll each into about a 10-inch long log, as round as you can get it. Chill in the freezer for an hour (you can also chill in the fridge for a day or two, or keep frozen for a month).

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the over to 375°F. Slice each log into 24 pieces—slices should be about a quarter to a third of an inch. Arrange them on the ungreased baking sheet a half inch apart. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are slightly golden. Cool, then store in airtight containers.