CAPPUCCINO-CHOCOLATE BITES

Cappuccino-Chocolate Bites image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes about 30

Number Of Ingredients 9

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely ground espresso beans
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Steps:

Whisk flour, espresso, and salt in a bowl. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, and mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture; mix on medium-low until dough comes together. Shape into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Roll between sheets of parchment to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 1 1/8-inch cutter; space 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Reroll scraps; cut out. Freeze 10 minutes.
Bake until set but not browned, about 9 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely.
Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan. Pour over chocolate in a bowl; stir until smooth. Press plastic wrap onto surface; refrigerate at least 4 hours (up to overnight). Whisk to soft peaks before using.
Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip. Pipe about 1 teaspoon filling on bottoms of half the cookies; sandwich with remaining cookies. Dust with cocoa and sugar.