Chocolate Melting Moments

Melting moments live up to their name. These chocolate cookies are so tender they practically dissolve on your tongue, thanks to cake flour and powdered sugar instead of the all-purpose flour and granulated sugar most cookies use. The result is a crumb so delicate it almost can’t hold itself together.

The dough is just four ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and cake flour. Beat the butter until fluffy, and the cookies will be light and airy. Skimp on the creaming and they’ll be dense little pucks. Roll into marble-sized balls and press your knuckle into each one to create a little well for the filling.

The mocha filling is what takes these from good to addictive. Melted unsweetened chocolate, powdered sugar, vanilla, and hot coffee get stirred together into a glossy, fudgy paste. Spoon it into the warm cookies right out of the oven so it melts slightly and bonds to the cookie as it cools.

Pro Tips

• Use real butter, not margarine, for the best flavor and texture. Margarine has more water content and makes the cookies spread too much.
• If the dough is too soft to roll, refrigerate it for 20 minutes. Warm dough sticks to your hands and won’t hold its ball shape.
• Cake flour is key here. All-purpose flour has too much protein and will make the cookies tough instead of tender.
• Fill the cookies while they’re still warm. Cold cookies won’t absorb the filling and it just sits on top.

Variations

• Peppermint mocha: Add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract to the filling for a holiday-ready version.
• Salted caramel center: Skip the mocha filling and drop a small piece of soft caramel and a flake of sea salt into each thumbprint instead.