Food Desserts & Baking Cookies Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Stars These buttery cookies are a staff favorite at Zingerman's Bakehouse in Ann Arbor and look beautiful on a holiday cookie plate. The recipe comes from the cookbook Zingerman's Bakehouse Celebrate Every Day (Chronicle, $30). By Amy Emberling Amy Emberling Amy Emberling, managing partner of Zingerman's Bakehouse, came to Zingerman's in 1992 as one of the original bakers on a staff of eight. Since then she has managed the bread department, then the pastry department, and in 2000 became a managing partner along with Bakehouse founder Frank Carollo. She is passionate about baking and teaching and has supported the development of Zingerman's Bake! classes. In 2017, she co-authored the cookbook Zingerman's Bakehouse with Carollo, and in 2023 co-authored the cookbook Zingerman's Bakehouse Celebrate Every Day. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 2, 2023 Print Share Photo: EE Berger/Courtesy of Chronicle Yield: 24 to 36 - cookies Ingredients ½ cup (110 g) unsalted butter, room temperature ¼ cup (50g) sugar ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 2 tablespoons finely ground espresso beans 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped Gold luster dust or edible gold leaf (optional) Directions Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt until the sugar is well mixed in. Add the flour and ground espresso beans and mix until the dough holds together. If necessary, use your hands to gently knead the dough together into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick. Cut out cookies using a 1 1/2- to 2-inch (4 to 5 mm) star cutter. You can reroll scraps and cut out more stars, but take care not to overwork the dough. This cookie will be delicious in many different sizes and shapes, so use whatever shape cutter you prefer and what you're able to find. If you choose a much bigger cutter, roll out the dough a little thicker. If they are large and too thin, they will break easily. Carefully place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake for 30 minutes. The tops should look dry and the cookies should be slightly browned. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature. Melt the chocolate slowly in the microwave or over a double broiler until just melted. Dip one-third of each cookie into the melted chocolate, then place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If using gold leaf, use a couple of small pieces as garnish and apply them to the soft chocolate. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the chocolate hardens (or place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill 5 to 10 minutes). If desired, lightly brush gold luster dust over the hardened chocolate. Storage: Store in an airtight container, with parchment paper between layers of cookies, at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature before enjoying. If thawing cookies with luster dust, do so gradually, moving them from the freezer to the refrigerator, and then to room temperature. Nutrition Facts (Per Cookie): 100 calories, 6 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 34 mg sodium, 12 g carbo, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 1 g pro. Print