Do you remember the sandwich cookies I served at my Thanksgiving with Friends?  Well I am finally sharing my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mocha Ganache!

It was all I could do to keep the Taster from popping a dozen of them into his mouth before our party, but luckily this recipe makes  A LOT of cookies.

The cookie itself is soft and chewy.  It isn’t too sweet and acts as a light balance to the rich mocha ganache.  I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d make this ganache again.  Ever since I made that banana cake I’ve been trying to find another excuse to slather that rich mocha deliciousness onto something.  There is one more recipe coming soon that uses this ganache as well, it is THAT good!

The recipe is time consuming, it probably took me the better part of a day from start to finish.  Between baking dozens of cookies, making a ganache and sandwiching them all together, be prepared for a project.

But, they are well worth it.  One, they freeze very well so you can make them ahead of time, and two, they make so many you can find a couple of uses for them.

This cookie recipe is adapted from Chocolate Chip Cookies II in this cookbook.  Side note, if you are ever in the market for a basic cookie cookbook, this is a great one.  My dad bought it for my mom as a gift forever ago, and I had to buy a copy for myself a few years ago.

The first step for making Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mocha Ganache is to make your cookie dough.

The recipe calls for sifted flour

So you will actually need to sift it prior to measuring.  When a recipe says “1 cup of flour, sifted” it means you measure the flour first, then sift.  If it says “1 cup of sifted flour” it means to sift the flour, then measure it out

Sifted flour is much lighter so you will get less of it cup for cup than had you not sifted it

Combine your flour with the other dry ingredients and whisk them together then set aside

Next, combine the butter and sugars

Mix well until light and fluffy

Then add your eggs and vanilla

Combine well

Reduce the speed of your mixer to low and gradually add in the dry ingredients

Now, since I made mini cookies, I thought mini chips were more appropriate.  Stir them into your batter

Chill your dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight

When ready to bake, scoop teaspoonfuls of cookie dough

Roll them into balls (see how small?)

And lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges

Notice that the cookies barely brown?

Set the cookies aside on cooling racks

While cookies are cooling, prepare your ganache (Refer to this post for step-by-step photos). Once the ganache is thick, you are ready to make your sandwiches

Although the cookies were mostly uniform in size, I lined them up in pairs to make sure each half was as close in size and shape as possible.  This made the sandwiching process go more quickly

Spread a layer of ganache onto the bottom of a cookie

Top with a second cookie and lightly press down

Repeat until all of your cookie sandwiches are complete

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Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mocha Ganache

Makes 35-40 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Chocolate Chip Cookies II in The Search for The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

3 cups sifted flour*

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mocha Ganache**

10 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup extra-strong brewed coffee

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

Cookies

Combine sifted flour with the other dry ingredients and whisk them together;  set aside

Next, combine the butter and sugars; beat well until light and fluffy

Then add your eggs and vanilla and combine well

Reduce the speed of your mixer to low and gradually add in the dry ingredients

Stir chocolate chips into your batter

Chill your dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight

Once ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Scoop teaspoonfuls of cookie dough and roll them into balls with the circumference of a quarter

Lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges; cookies will not change color much

Set the cookies aside on cooling racks

While cookies are cooling, prepare your ganache

Ganache

Make ganache while cookies are cooling

Chop up the chocolate, coarsely, and prepare extra-strong coffee

Slice up your butter and set aside

Now set up your double boiler; bring water to a simmer in medium pot over low-medium heat

Place heat-proof bowl of chocolate over the pot

Pour the coffee over your chocolate

Continuously stir until chocolate is melted and smooth

Remove bowl from heat and whisk in the butter until creamy

Then allow ganache to cool, stirring occasionally

Ganache is ready when the mixture gets nice and thick

Cookie Sandwiches

Spread a layer of ganache onto the bottom of a cookie

Top with a second cookie and lightly press down

Repeat until all of your cookie sandwiches are complete

Notes

*When a recipe says “1 cup of flour, sifted” it means you measure the flour first, then sift.  If it says “1 cup of sifted flour” it means to sift the flour, then measure it out.  So you will actually need to sift it prior to measuring.

**This is actually more than enough ganache than you will need for this recipe.  Save your extra cup or so because I have ANOTHER recipe for you to use it!

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These cookies would be perfect for holiday cookie swaps.  What do you think, is this a sandwich you can get behind?