SHF # 11- It is kahlua time

When Ronald of Love Sicily introduced coffee as the theme for this SHF, it sure seemed slightly common to me. I add a little espresso powder to most of my chocolate desserts and of course, I make a lot of those. In hind sight, the coffee in many chocolate desserts, only seems to accentuate the chocolate without having a character of its own. Leaving chocolate out entirely by making something like a coffee creme brulee was unthinkable for me. I needed to have chocolate but yet coffee should dominate. So when this recipe caught my eye, with loads of both, I had to go with it. Rachel Ray's recipes don't usually go well with me. But this recipe starts with a chocolate chip cookie mix, I mean, who can go wrong with that.

Kahlua Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 package dry chocolate chip cookie mix, 1 pound 1 1/2 ounces,
7 tablespoons softened butter
1/4 cup sugar (my addition)
1 large egg, beaten
4 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
3 tablespoons instant espresso or instant coffee crystals
1 tablespoon coarsely ground coffee beans
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks
4 ounces walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place racks in center of oven. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add the dry chocolate chip cookie mix. Add egg, Kahlua, instant coffee and ground coffee, chocolate chunks and walnuts. Mix well to combine all ingredients into cookie dough. Scoop with a small scoop or by heaping tablespoons and drop cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased nonstick cookie sheet or sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies in batches 9 to 11 minutes or until crisp and browned at edges. Transfer to wire rack to cool and serve.

One of this cookie was enough to leave me with a caffeine coma. But that is probably because I am more of a cafe au lait person and I never have coffee without cream. The kahlua is quite strong (again, I am not an alcohol fan). Definitely, this is an adult cookie and for the faint at heart, it is best served with some vanilla ice cream.