MY ESPRESSO MARTINI COOKIES ARE THE PERFECT WAY TO GET A (SUGAR) BUZZ

Want a little (sugar) buzz? Then you’ve got to try these espresso martini cookies. Infused with espresso powder and topped with a shiny Kahlúa glaze, these fudgy cocoa cookies promise to keep the party going all night long.

The cookies:

Somewhere between a shortbread and a bakery-style chocolate fudge cookie, these icebox cookies bake into beautiful rounds with crisp edges and a fudgy center. Be sure to pull them out of the oven when they’re just set on the edges and super jiggly in the center—that’s the best way to ensure you retain those soft middles when they cool. But if you happen to bake them for a minute or two too long, don’t worry: They’ll still taste great when crisp all the way through.

The decorating:

These cookies are glazed in a spiked espresso glaze and dusted in a half-moon coating of cocoa powder to mimic the top-down look of a classic espresso martini. For the neatest glaze, I recommend gently shaking each cookie upside down over the bowl after dipping it to ensure the excess glaze flows off before carefully inverting. And while you don’t want to dust with cocoa powder immediately after glazing (a super wet glaze will encourage the cocoa powder to travel across the cookie and you’ll lose that neat line), don’t wait too long. If the glaze is totally dry, the cocoa powder and espresso beans won’t stick. In testing, I found that dipping 3 to 4 cookies and then decorating those same cookies in the order that I dipped them gave them the perfect amount of time to dry slightly, but not too much.

Make ahead & storage:

These cookies are at their best the day they’re baked; over time, the texture of the cookie will equalize, and you’ll lose that fudgy center. That said, the log of unbaked dough can be made ahead and stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

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Yields: 14

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

Cookies

• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 c. (107 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 c. (180 g) all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp. (32 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Glaze & Assembly

• 1/2 tsp. espresso powder
• 3 tbsp. boiling water, divided
• 1 tbsp. Kahlúa
• 1 1/2 c. (170 g) confectioners’ sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
• 42 small espresso beans

Directions

Cookies

1. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed (or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, espresso powder, and salt until creamy and combined. Add baking powder and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute more.
2. Add flour and cocoa powder and beat until dough begins to form clumps. Turn out onto a large square of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap, form dough into a 2"-diameter log. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
3. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°. Unwrap dough and, using a sharp knife, slice into 14 (1/2"-thick) discs. Arrange on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets top to bottom halfway through, until edges are just firm, 11 to 13 minutes.
5. While cookies are still warm, using a spatula or the inside of a cookie cutter, nudge edges and encourage cookies to be as circular as possible.
6. Let cool on sheets until firm, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Glaze & Assembly

1. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk espresso powder and 2 Tbsp. boiling water until dissolved. Whisk in Kahlúa, then add confectioners’ sugar and whisk until combined. Add remaining water, 1 tsp. at a time, until glaze is a thick dipping consistency.
2. Working one at a time, dip 4 cookies face down into glaze, letting excess drip off. Return to wire rack, glaze side up.
3. Fill a small sieve with cocoa powder. Using a piece of paper to cover one side of each cookie, shake cocoa powder onto the other half. Press 3 espresso beans into the center of each cookie.
4. Repeat with remaining cookies, then let cookies sit until totally dry, about 10 minutes.

2026-07-15T12:32:24Z