Cookimisu

This recipe is from Emelia Jackson's book Some of my best friends are Cookies.  Emelia was first on Masterchef in 2014, and ended up winning Masterchef Australia in 2020.  She has made a success in the culinary world over the years since then, including writing two fabulous baking books (I have both of them).  

Emelia says these biscuits "rival the best tiramisu".  They are delicious, I know that for sure.  I made them for one of the cookbook clubs I am in - can't remember which one!  On a side note, I have just found out that tartaric acid and cream of tartar are not the same thing!  So I guess I've been using tartaric acid all along instead of ...  Oh well, we haven't died yet!  And I couldn't tell the difference in the taste or texture of my bakes.    

sooooo delicious!

Makes 12:

ingredients:

1 Tbs instant coffee powder   see Notes

1 Tbs warm water

120g./4.25 oz butter, softened (not melted)  see Notes

200g./7 oz brown sugar

2 large eggs 

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

210g./7.5 oz plain flour

1/2 tsp bi-carb (baking) soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp sea salt flakes (or regular salt)

Coffee Sugar:

100g./3.5 oz caster sugar

1 heaped Tablespoon of instant coffee powder

Mascarpone Swirl:

300g./10.5 oz mascarpone

140g./5 oz icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla paste or extract

cocoa powder, for dusting over the tops

c. Sherry M.

coffee!

c. Sherry M.

Method:

Turn on your oven to heat at 180C/350F

Grab a couple of baking trays, and line 'em with baking paper

Mix the coffee powder into the warm water, till dissolved

Into a medium or large mixing bowl, place the butter, brown sugar and eggs, and mix with your electric hand beaters (or your stand mixer) till you have a lighter colour - don't go too wild!

In go the coffee mixture and the vanilla, and give it a good mix

Add the flour, bi-carb, cream of tartar and salt - and mix 'em in!

Now you make the coffee sugar - grab a small bowl, and mix the coffee powder and sugar together  (duh, so simple)

And then you roll or scoop the dough into balls - I made them into 50g./1.8 oz balls, though Emelia makes hers into 30g./1 oz balls, so make 'em as big or as small as you fancy   see Notes

Have fun rolling them in the coffee sugar!

On to the baking trays they go, leaving lots of space for spreading

Bake for 10-12 minutes (she says) though mine took 14!

And now they sit on the trays, quietly sighing and settling down into a cold state of trance (whoops, getting a bit lyrical there)

But what about the mascarpone swirl?  Yep, grab a small bowl, throw in the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla and stir till smooth

Of course, Emelia wants to be fancy here, so she says to pipe on the creamy topping, but being a non-piper kind of gal, I just swirled it on top of the biscuits with a spoon!  And then dusted them with cocoa (I think I might have added some drinking chocolate powder as well!)

Eat them on the day you make them - not that that will be a problem

vanilla      

Notes:

I bought Italian freeze-dried 100% Arabica instant coffee powder

Emelia says to use unsalted butter, but that's the Devil's work, my friends

She says to "roll the dough", but mine was way too soft, so I used spoons and fingers

ingredients gathered

beating butter, brown sugar and eggs

and adding the coffee and vanilla

add the flour, bi-carb, cream of tartar and salt

stir the coffee and sugar together

ready for baking after rolling in the coffee sugar!

looking delicious!

mascarpone?  Oh yes please!

sprinkled with cocoa powder