Mexican Mocha Cookies

These coffee and cinnamon-flavored cookies—with creamy chocolate and crunchy walnuts—would make a sweet finish to a Mexican meal, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking Directions:

1. Combine flour, instant coffee powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.
2. In a separate, larger mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar and brown sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. Carefully add dry ingredients, stirring until incorporated, then fold in half the walnuts.
3. Wrap dough in wax paper and refrigerate thoroughly for at least two hours. Finely chop the remaining walnuts; set aside.
4. Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
5. Remove dough from refrigerator and, using rounded teaspoonfuls of dough, shape into balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and working quickly while cookies are still soft, place 3 to 4 chocolate chips in the center of each hot cookie. When the chocolate has softened, smooth over the top and distribute the finely chopped walnuts among the cookies. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.