Fudgey, almost brownie-like cookies with flakey sea salt filled with espresso ganache and Baileys cream frosting.
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. This year, I am tapping into my (very) inner Irish side and making these BAILEYS Brownie Truffle Sandwich Cookies! Creamy, chocolate-y, and extremely decadent – make sure you have a tall glass of milk near by.
I’ve talked about my mixed heritage before and specifically about my maternal grandmother in this post. Her ancestors came from Puerto Rico before eventually settling down in part of the Arizona agricultural community where she was raised. Just judging by her tanned skin, dark features, and wild curls, you probably wouldn’t guess that she is part Irish. Before settling in Arizona, a brief stop in New York, and establishing roots in San Juan, my Puerto Rican ancestors were originally from Spain – Barcelona and Madrid, to be exact. While in Europe, someone of Irish decent slipped into the mix when the roots of my family tree were being planted. In the end, the members of this side of my family all look vastly different from each other. Some have dark skin, some have red hair and blue eyes, and then there’s me with my incredibly pale skin, my father’s German features, and my grandmother’s curls. It might just be me, but I find genealogy fascinating, especially when it means I get to indulge in these Baileys Brownie Truffle Sandwich Cookies in honour of my heritage.
I may be just a sliver Irish, but that won’t stop me from treating myself with these decadent cookies this St. Patrick’s Day. Even if you aren’t Irish at all, you should still make these. They are so good!
Coffee and Baileys Irish cream have always gone hand in hand, and these cookies are no exception. Ever indulge in one of those fancy after-dinner drinks with dark espresso, creamy Baileys, and mostly likely a tall swirl of whipped cream? Well these cookies are kind of like that but in dessert form. The cookies themselves are so deeply fudgey that they remind me of brownies. I then stuffed them with a truffle center made from Baileys and espresso-infused ganache and a swirl of Baileys Irish cream frosting. Each bite is more decadent than the next! To balance out the richness, I sprinkled the cookies with my favourite flakey sea salt, but I bet dunking them in the above-mentioned coffee drink or a tall glass of milk would be equally satisfying.
Baileys Brownie Truffle Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate Brownie Cookies
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini or regular)
flakey sea salt for sprinkling
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the chocolate until it begins to melt. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time followed by the vanilla. Stir in the melted, cooled chocolate until combined.
With the mixer on low, gradually mix in the dry ingredients until incorporated and the last of the flour streaks disappear. Fold in the chocolate chips until combined.
Using a mechanical ice cream scoop or small disher, scoop the dough into uniform balls and place on the lined baking sheets 3-inches apart. Each ball should be about 21/2 tablespoons. Gently flatten the dough with the palm of your hand and sprinkle with a pinch of flakey sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes and let rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving the baked cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Espresso Ganache
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon coarsely ground espresso or coffee beans
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon Bailys Irish cream
Place the cream and espresso in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, gently bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and place in a heat-safe container (with the espresso beans). Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight (the longer the cream is infused, the stronger the espresso flavour).
When cool, strain out the ground beans with a fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth. Place the infused cream back in the saucepan. Over medium heat, gently bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Once the cream comes to a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 to 60 seconds. Add the Baileys Irish cream and whisk until smooth. Allow the ganache to completely cool and thicken. Once the ganache is spreadable, gently whisk by hand until slightly whipped and fluffy (do not overmix or the chocolate will appear grainy).
Baileys Irish Cream Frosting
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low, gradually add in the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Once the sugar is incorporated, beat on medium-high for several minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Assembly
Once the cookies have cooled and all of the components are made, pair off the cookies into sets of two. Flip half of the cookies upside down.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip with the Baileys Irish cream frosting. Pipe a ring of frosting on half of the cookies. Fill in each right with a tablespoon or so of ganache. Top the frosting with the spare cookies and gently press together to form a cookie sandwich.
NOTES
If the cookie batter is too runny to scoop, let stand 5 to 10 minutes until it stiffens up slightly.
Ganache may be cooled in the refrigerator. Stir every 5 minutes to keep an even consistency. Ganache will take about 20 minutes to cool in the refrigerator.
This post was sponsored by BAILEYS. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly.
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