Your Weekend Plans

This recipe is so good. Jättebra, underbart, utsökt. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've made these Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies at least once a month since living here. Any chance I get-- girls' night, birthday fika, thank you gift, cure for homesickness-- this is my simple, no-fail, go-to dessert recipe. You can easily exchange the coffee crystals or chocolate chips for nuts, M&Ms, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or toffee pieces to give the cookies a different twist.

During my last Book Club meeting, my kiddos happily gobbled up a coffee-free batch while discussing democracy, reality television, and how awesome Katniss is. (If you haven't read The Hunger Games, you should probably make it a priority this weekend. Read that book and eat these cookies.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup instant coffee crystals
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or chop up a dark chocolate bar if you live in a country that doesn't offer chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, coffee crystals, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips/chunks. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. 
3. Try not to eat all of the raw batter.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. These are better a bit under-done. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

While we're on the topic of chocolate, the yellowish building on the right serves some pretty amazing chocolate cake.