Description
These Tiramisu Brownie Crinkle Cookies combine the rich, fudgy texture of a chocolate brownie cookie infused with coffee flavors, sandwiched with a creamy mascarpone filling reminiscent of traditional tiramisu. The cookies feature a crinkled top and a soft center, with a luscious mascarpone cream that is light yet rich, creating the perfect indulgent dessert sandwich.
Ingredients
Brownie Cookies
- 200g dark chocolate, 65-70% cocoa solids
- 125g unsalted butter, diced
- 20g ground coffee (espresso grind)
- 25ml espresso (or very strong coffee)
- 150g caster sugar
- 100g light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 130g plain flour
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Mascarpone Cream Filling
- 100g mascarpone, cold
- 165g double cream
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 65g icing sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Butter and Coffee Infusion: Place the diced unsalted butter into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter until it melts, begins to splutter and foam, and the milk solids turn a nutty brown. Immediately remove from heat and pour the browned butter into a bowl containing the finely ground coffee. Let it steep for 10 minutes. Then pour in the espresso and strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing the coffee grounds to extract all butter and coffee infusion.
- Melt Chocolate: Place the bowl with the butter and coffee mixture over a pan of simmering water (double boiler). Add the dark chocolate to the bowl and stir occasionally until it is fully melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Whisk Eggs and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, whisk the eggs, caster sugar, and light brown sugar together on medium-high speed for exactly 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: While whisking the eggs, sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder (sift if lumpy), baking powder, and sea salt into a separate bowl and mix to combine thoroughly.
- Combine Chocolate Mixture and Egg Mixture: After 5 minutes of whisking, pour the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just to combine.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix briefly just until everything is evenly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure no pockets of dry ingredients remain, but avoid overmixing.
- Shape Cookies: Using a 2-tablespoon-sized ice cream scoop, portion the brownie dough onto two lined baking trays. Space the cookies well apart to allow spreading. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with flaked sea salt.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F. Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes. They should appear crinkled and slightly domed when removed from the oven.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking trays for at least 20-30 minutes as they will be very soft initially. After this, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will collapse slightly, forming a fudgy center.
- Prepare Mascarpone Cream Filling: Ensure mascarpone and double cream are cold from the fridge. Place mascarpone, double cream, vanilla bean paste, and icing sugar into a mixer bowl. Whisk on low speed briefly to break up the mascarpone, then increase speed to medium. Whisk until soft peaks form, about 30 seconds. For piping, the mixture should have a slightly looser consistency, just starting to hold peaks.
- Assemble Sandwich Cookies: Using a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip or a spoon, pipe or spoon a generous round of mascarpone cream onto half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, pressing gently until cream fills almost to the edges.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the assembled cookies for at least one hour to firm the filling. Store in a sealed container in the fridge if not served immediately. Allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure the butter browning process is timed carefully to achieve a nutty flavor without burning.
- Use fresh, cold mascarpone and double cream straight from the fridge for best filling texture.
- The cookies are best eaten within three days but can keep for up to five days refrigerated.
- Allow cookies to cool properly before assembling to avoid cream melting.
- Adjust coffee strength according to preference, but espresso or strong coffee is recommended for authentic flavor.
