Irish Coffee Cookies Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 15

Cooling Time 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings cookies

Irish Cream chocolate cookies on a piece of parchment paper.

Indulge in the mouthwatering and gourmet-style Irish Coffee Cookies that are guaranteed to be a mind-blowing treat! With three delectable and easy-to-make layers, you won't have to compromise on taste or quality. No need to wait for the dough to chill, plus there are endless options for substitutions and variations - making it a versatile and irresistible treat!

Ingredients

Ganache

▢ 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped, I used Ghirardelli 60% baking chocolate
▢ 2 ounces Irish Cream
▢ 2 ounces heavy cream

Frosting

▢ ½ cup salted butter softened
▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
▢ 2 ounces Irish Cream liqueur
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or coffee extract for more intense coffee flavor
▢ ½ teaspoon coffee extract

Topping

▢ holiday sprinkles St. Patrick's Day, Christmas, or everyday

Instructions

Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup Dutch cocoa powder, 1 (3.4oz.) box instant chocolate fudge pudding mix, 1 tablespoon malted milk powder, ½ teaspoon espresso powder, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, and ¾ teaspoon baking soda. Set aside.
Cream together ½ cup salted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar , and ¼ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream for 2 minutes.
Add in 1 large egg and 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients and 3 ounces Irish Cream liqueur, alternating between them 3 times, beginning with flour and ending with milk (mix on low so the dry ingredients don't go everywhere). Mix for about 1 to 2 minutes - the dough should be thick but soft and greasy but not sticky.
Fold in 1 cup mini chocolate chips just until incorporated.
Use a #24 cookie scoop to measure the dough into balls about 2 ounces each.
Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking pan at least 2 inches apart and gently press the dough down to flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are just set and the dough looks more matte than glossy.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely. Bake the other pan of cookies. These cookies are very soft right after baking and will firm up while they cool.

Ganache

Once the cookies have cooled, prepare the ganache by chopping and adding 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate to a small prep bowl.
Then, heat 2 ounces Irish Cream and 2 ounces heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat just until the edges begin to bubble.
Pour the hot liquid over the chopped chocolate and let set for 5 minutes before whisking until ganache forms and then set aside for a few minutes to thicken.

Frosting

While the ganache rests, prepare the frosting by creaming ½ cup salted butter in a large bowl or stand mixer.
Add 2 cups powdered sugar a little at a time, alternating with 2 ounces Irish Cream liqueur. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste and ½ teaspoon coffee extract and whip on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Assembly

Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to frost the cookies, leaving a slight indent in the center of the frosting for the ganache.
Add about 1½ teaspoons of chocolate ganache to the top of each frosted cookie.
Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles if using, and let rest until the ganache has set.