new orleans coffee cookies

Every once in a while I get a craving for these coffee cookies. They're crisp, they're loaded with coffee flavor, and they're easily dress-upable with whipped cream, if you'd rather make them for a somewhat fancy dessert.

The recipe comes from Paul Prudhomme, so you know it's authentic New Orleans!

PS/ Eating these just before you go to bed ( notice I said "bed" and not "sleep") is probably not a good idea - as I discovered two nights ago. There is quite a bit of caffine in these, after all - but, hummmm....as a breakfast cookie on the run?

To make:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup good instant coffee powder

( the coffee and chicory kind makes it even better)

2 tablespoons vanilla

3 egg yolks

2 1/4 cups King Arthur flour

Cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for a minute or two.

In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks, vanilla, and coffee powder until smooth and blended. Add the coffee mixture to the bowl of butter and sugar and beat. Scrape down the bowl sides, since the butter tends to stick to the bowl.

Right here is where Mr. Prudhomme and I differ. He says to drop teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet. I did that once, and it was ugly. So I fill a pastry bag with a zig-zaggy tip, scrape in the dough, and pipe out coffee "sticks", about 4 inches long. They spread a little bit, so leave enough room. The dough is also pretty stiff, so be prepared.

Put cookie sheet in the oven, and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove, wait a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the second sheet of cookies. They seem to hold up fine uncovered, even when it's humid.

- Katrina Hall