Cappuccino Cravers for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2013

When we heard about the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2013, we knew we wanted to participate.  While we had no idea what we were in store for in return, some surprises are more than you expect.   Getting mystery cookies in the mail makes the entire month of December feel like Christmas!!  I really don't think there's a better way to get in the holiday spirit.  We ended up with three very different kinds of cookies, which rocks because who besides Susie wants the exact same kind of cookie all the time?  

Here is our recipe for our Cappuccino Cravers.  Someone's favorite at our house to the point that they didn't want to send them away.  There was some cookie snatching going on in our house until it was made clear that there would be some left at home.  You can't make cookies in our house and expect to get away with distributing them without leaving a few extra behind.  Of course, when you only make a recipe once a year this tends to happen more elaborately.  You try hiding a few dozen cookies without detection; it's not easy.

This recipe comes from one of our neighbors.  The first time it was made it was a hit at our house. To the point that every year during the holidays when these are made they tend to mysteriously go missing.  Of course, it takes a while to be noticed because we generally go cookie crazy.   There will be dozens upon dozens of freshly baked cookies at our house.  Sometimes you just don't want to share, but when you do you hope others will love your cookies as much as you do!

Cappuccino Cravers

2 squares (2 oz) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1 teaspoon water
1 egg

Chocolate Dip
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons shortening

Stir semisweet chocolate in small heavy saucepan over low heat until melted.  Remove from heat; cool slightly.  In small bowl stir together flour, cinnamon and salt.

Beat 1/2 cup shortening and butter in large mixing bowl until butter is softened.  Add sugar and brown sugar and beat until fluffy.  Stir coffee crystals into water to dissolve.  Add coffee mixture, melted chocolate and egg to butter mixture.  Beat well.  Add flour mixture.  Beat until well mixed.  Cover and chill about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Shape into two 7-inch rolls.  Wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Cut rolls into 1/4 inch slices.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm and lightly browned.  Remove and cool.

Heat chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons shortening in small saucepan over low heat until melted.  Stir occasionally.  Dip 1/2 of each into chocolate mixture.  This works better if you tilt the bowl at an angle so you have a deeper chocolate pool to dip into.

Place on waxed paper to cool until chocolate is set.  You can skip the chocolate dipping if you prefer.  It depends on if you like to mix coffee and chocolate together.