Coffee Bean Biscuits by Frances Quinn

Using a hand-held electric whisk, or in a free-standing mixer, beat the butter

and sugar together for 3–5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Break the

egg into a mug or jug, add the coffee and vanilla extract and beat with a fork.

Gradually add the egg to the creamed mixture, beating well after each

addition. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the mixture in two or three

batches, mixing in each batch gently, to make a soft dough.

Halve the dough and pat each piece into a rough disc (this makes it easier

to roll out later). Put into two food bags, or wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate for

several hours, to firm up (but remove the dough from the fridge 15 minutes

before rolling it, so it can soften slightly)

While the dough is chilling, make the ganache. Chop the chocolate into small

pieces and set aside. Put the cream into a milk pan or small/medium-sized

saucepan. Gently heat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. When it’s

just coming to the boil, remove from the heat and transfer the chopped

chocolate into the pan. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to melt, then stir

in the coffee extract and combine and until smooth and shiny. Leave to cool.

You want the ganache to have a soft spreading consistency when you come

to use it, so, once cooled, you may want to put it in the fridge to firm up a

little.

When ready to roll one of the dough halves out on to a sheet of non stick

baking parchment to the thickness of a £1 coin – if the dough seems very

sticky, dust the dough and the parchment lightly with some sifted cocoa

powder flour. Using an oval cutter, approx 5x7cm or 7cm round metal cutter

squished in at the middle cut out your coffee bean shapes. Peel back the

dough trimmings and lift the beans, on their parchment paper, on to a baking

tray. Using a wooden coffee stirrer, score and engrave a curved line through

the centre of the bean to create the look of a coffee bean. Next chill the

dough for 15 minutes in the fridge and repeat the process with the trimming to

create more or return the trimmings to the fridge or freezer to use at a later

date.!

While the coffee beans are chilling, pre-heat the oven to 180C, 160C Fan,

Gas Mark 4 and. Bake in the oven for approx 10-15 minutes until the biscuits

edges turn golden brown in colour. Once out of the oven leave the biscuits on

the baking tray to cool.

When the biscuits have cooled and the ganache reached a spreadable

consistency, you can start sandwiching your biscuits up together. Place a

heaped teaspoon of ganache on to the base of one of the biscuit coffee

beans. Use a small rounded knife or palette knife to smooth over its surface

and to the edges. Place another biscuit bean on top, again base side down

and sandwich together. Enjoy with a good cup of coffee, one shot, biscuit or

two!!