Dark Chocolate & Espresso Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt for #theleftoversclub

I may be tardy to the party, but have you discovered smoked, flaked sea salt? Have you ever sprinkled it on chocolate chip cookies? The flavor combination is amazing! The smokiness of the sea salt adds a depth of flavor you don't get with just regular flaked sea salt. Now add dark chocolate and espresso to the equation and you have a cookie that means serious  business.  
 

These cookies right here are my new obsession...

My partner for this month's Leftover's Club is Kathia from Basic and Delicious. Kathia and I have been partners before and she actually lives in the same city (well county) that I do...San Diego! I was really excited that my partner lives so close, because let's face it, stale cookies are no fun. I knew these cookies would arrive to her while still fresh and I am a stickler for freshness when it comes to baked goods. Honestly, I could have just hand delivered them straight from my oven to her door. Why didn't I think of that sooner?
 

I think Kathia will really enjoy these cookies. They're bold, sophisticated and fun!
 

If you'd like to join in on the fun and swap baked goods each month with a fellow food blogger, please sign up at Alwayz Bakin. We'd love to have you in the group!

Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies w/Smoked Flaked Sea Salt
Adapted from Alice Medrich
Makes approx. 20 cookies


Ingredients:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil
4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 ounces of dark chocolate cut into chunks
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp espresso powder


Directions:

Place the coconut oil and unsweetened chocolate chunks in a bowl placed over a pan of barely boiling water. Heat until melted stirring often. When completely melted, remove the bowl from the heat and allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature.

Place the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and espresso powder in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and your electric hand mixer). Mix on med-high speed until light and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes). The mixture should stream from the paddle in thick ribbons.

Using a rubber spatula fold in the cooled chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour mixture, then fold in the dark chocolate chunks.

Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, preheat your oven to 350f and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a small cookie scoop, place scoops of dough onto the prepare cookie sheets approx. 2" apart. Sprinkle the cookies with the smoked, flaked sea salt.

Bake one sheet at a time (unless you have double oven) for approx. 10 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet front to back halfway through the baking time. Sprinkle a little more sea salt on each cookie halfway through the baking time if needed.

Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool directly on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet and place on a wire cooling rack.

An InLinkz Link-up