This recipe for tiramisu cookies makes 12 soft espresso flavored cookies topped with a mascarpone and Kahlua (coffee liquor) frosting. Just before serving, they are dusted with cocoa powder, just like real tiramisu. If you love tiramisu, you have to make these bite-size treats! They can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for an event, but be sure to read below for the full instructions.
Even though tiramisu is easy to make (especially since it's a no bake dessert), I find myself wanting a small bite of it instead of a big pan of it. I want something portable, and these coffee flavored cookies with a mascarpone frosting that mimics the inside of a scoop of tiramisu really deliver.
For these tiramisu cookies, I based the espresso cookie base on my hazelnut cookies recipe. I like the way they bake up perfectly round with the smallest dome. The cookie itself has a very thin crisp shell with a tender interior. The flecks of espresso in the dough are strong, but so good!
For these tiramisu cookies, instead of making a true sabayon filling on the stove top like we do for my tiramisu for two, we're just combining the best parts of tiramisu: the creamy mascarpone, sugar, and Kahlua (coffee liquor). These are even easier than making regular tiramisu! If you're looking for a tiramisu cupcake version, I have that, too!
The Ingredients
- Butter. Six tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes. It doesn't need to be warm or room temperature, just slightly softened.
- Sugar. White granulated sugar.
- Egg. One large egg at room temperature. To quickly bring an egg to room temperature, soak it in warm water for 5 minutes.
- Heavy Cream. One-half cup of heavy cream for the cookie dough. It's a bit unusual to use heavy cream in a dough, but that's what makes these cookies thick and scone-like.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Flour.
- Baking Powder.
- Instant Espresso Powder. You can use instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules for these tiramisu cookies.
- Mascarpone Cheese. One 8-ounce container of mascarpone cheese softened fully to room temperature so it blends easily.
- Powdered Sugar. One cup of powdered sugar, also called confectioner's sugar.
- Kahlua/ Coffee Liquor. My favorite coffee liquor is Kahlua, but you can use anything. We need 1 tablespoon for the frosting, but you can use up to 2 tablespoons for extra flavor. This dessert is not cooked after the liquor is added, so I really recommend only serving this to adults.
- Cocoa Powder. This is entirely optional, but most tiramisu is dusted very lightly with cocoa powder before serving. I like to the do the same thing to these cookies.
How to Make Tiramisu Cookies Recipe
I really recommend a silicone mat on the cookie sheet for this tiramisu cookies recipe. The cookies have a high percentage of flour, so they do not spread too much on the pan. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit, and ensure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.
First, beat the butter with an electric mixer in a medium-size bowl for about 10 seconds to break it up. Add the sugar, and beat until fluffy, about 45 seconds. Next, add the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla, and beat just to combine.
Next, sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt over the batter, and beat just until combined. Add the espresso powder last (so that it doesn't fully dissolve), and stir just to combine.
Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to get 12 portions of dough. Roll each one in your hand to make a perfect ball (so the cookie bake up pretty). Space them 1.5 inches apart on a baking sheet, and press them down slightly flat with your hands. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies cool, add the softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and Kahlua to a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until super creamy, and then scrape into a piping bag with a small round tip.
Pipe concentric circles on top of each cookie. You might have a small amount of frosting leftover. The cookies can be stacked in a single layer and refrigerated until serving at this point.
Just before serving, dust the cookies with cocoa powder.
Storage/ Make-Ahead
These tiramisu cookies can be made ahead of time and stored for a few days after frosting, but only if you do not dust them with cocoa powder! After piping on the frosting, place the cookies in a single layer in an air-tight container. Store them in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you want to serve, move them from the fridge and let them rest on the counter for about 20-30 minutes to slightly warm up. Just before serving, dust with cocoa powder. Do not add the cocoa powder early, or it will dissolve into the frosting and not be as pretty.
Tiramisu Cookies
Delicious tiramisu cookies with mascarpone frosting.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened slightly
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
For the frosting:
- 8-ounces of mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons of Kahlua (coffee liquor)
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with a silicone liner. (In my experience, silicone liners prevent cookies from spreading too much in the oven).
- Make the cookies: In a medium-size bowl, add the butter and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer. Beat for about 10 seconds to break it up.
- Then, add the sugar to the butter, and beat until fluffy, about 45 seconds.
- Next, add the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat to combine.
- Evenly sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt over the batter, and beat until just combined.
- Lastly, sprinkle the espresso powder into the dough and fold it to combine. I like little streaks of this, and I like to see the granules, so I don’t try to over-blend it.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to get 12 balls of dough. Roll it in your hand to make a perfect ball (so the cookie bake up pretty). Space them 1.5 inches apart on a baking sheet, and press them down slightly flat with your fingers. Bake for 13-15 minutes. They're done when dry to the touch. They will be puffy with small domes.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the frosting: beat together the softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and Kahlua.
- To pipe the frosting, move it to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Pipe a concentric circle on each cookie. Dust the cookies with cocoa powder before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 221mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 4g
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