Coffee Shortbread Cookies (Recipe)

I've been experimenting with different ways of enjoying coffee. How about a coffee shortbread cookie to go with your morning cup of joe? Sounds good to me. This recipe requires a bit of work to make some of the ingredients, but the end result makes it all worth while.

Here's what you'll need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup coffee simple syrup (recipe follows)
1/4 cup reduced espresso (recipe follows)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. coffee bitters (recipe follows)
Pinch salt
1/4 cup of large dark chocolate chips (optional)

Coffee Simple Syrup
Very coarsely grind 2 tbsp. coffee beans.
Add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a small pot.
Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.
Add the coffee grounds and let steep for 10 minutes.
Strain out coffee grounds.
Let the coffee simple syrup cool and set aside.
This can keep in the fridge for up to 1 month or in the freezer almost indefinitely.
You can use this to sweeten other baked goods or add into cocktails.

Reduced Espresso
This works great if you have your own espresso machine. If not, brewed coffee works as well.
Take 1 cup of espresso or 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee and pour into a small pot.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and let simmer until reduced to about 1/4 cup (20-30 minutes).
Let cool and set aside.

Coffee Bitters
This recipe takes about a week and a half or so of inactive time.
Take 2 ounces of a 100 proof alcohol, like Buffalo Trace White Dog, and place in a mason jar.
Very coarsely grind 1 tbsp. coffee beans and add to the spirit.
Seal with the lid and let sit for about 4-6 days or until the coffee smell is very strong.
Strain out the grounds and place in 2 ounces of filtered or distilled water. Keep the coffee-infused spirit in the mason jar with the lid on.
Let the grounds sit in the water for another 2-3 days.
Filter out the grounds and add the water to the spirit.
Now you have coffee bitters.
This will keep indefinitely since the alcohol is very strong. You can use this to flavor other things as well, such as cocktails or other baked goods.

Here's what you'll do:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the softened butter and powdered sugar.
- Using the paddle attachment, mix on low at first, then switch to high until the butter and sugar are light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the coffee simple syrup, coffee bitters, vanilla extract and reduced espresso and mix again until all incorporated and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together.
- With a medium ice cream scoop, form walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
- Place a dark chocolate chip on top if desired.
- Bake for about 17 minutes.
- Let cool on a cooling rack and enjoy.

Hearty Crackers (Recipe)

The humble cracker has always been something I've overlooked when it comes to home baking. I guess I never really thought twice about them because I've never had a store-bought cracker that was delicious enough to be noteworthy. I recently visited a restaurant that served the most amazing crackers. They were hearty, sturdy but slightly crumbly with a very nutty taste. They were thick, dark and served with smoked trout, pickled eggs and braised beets. I wanted to eat that every day for the next two months. This recipe is my rendition of those crackers.

Here's what you'll need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup whey or water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 heaping tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. salt

Here's what you'll do:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat bran, flax seeds, sesame seeds, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar and salt.
- Using the paddle attachment, mix until incorporated (about 30 seconds).
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter piece by piece until well incorporated and crumbly (about 2 minutes).
- With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly pour in the oil, then the whey or water until the dough comes together (similar to pie crust).
- Remove the dough from the bowl, hand shape it into two balls, cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees for at least 20 minutes.
- Take one ball, unwrap from plastic, and roll directly on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat until about 1/8 inch thick. (I roll it with the piece of plastic on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin).
- Remove plastic, then using a knife or pizza cutter, cut flattened dough into 2-inch squares or rectangles. No need to pull them apart; that can be done after baking.
- Sprinkle with flake salt if desired.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, turn the cookie sheet around, then bake for another 11-12 minutes until the edges are very dark brown.
- Slide crackers onto a cooling rack, let cool for at least 20 minutes, then break the crackers apart.
- Repeat with the 2nd ball of dough.
- Store in a plastic baggie or air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.