Coffee and Nut Cookies

September 29: National Coffee Day

We have visited coffee plantations and estates while in Kona (Big Island of Hawaii), Kualapuu (Molokai), Kalaheo (Kauai) and Waialua (Oahu, Islander’s home island). We even got to sample some of the peaberries (bitter yet aromatic) grown on the property of some of the Hawaiian coffee companies. We buy their products and take them back to the mainland so Highlander can enjoy a cuppa joe (or, in Hawaiian, kope), and Islander can bake coffee-flavored desserts, such as coffee and nut cookies.

Inspired by Kauai Kookie’s Kona coffee macadamia nut shortbread cookies, Islander used Hawaiian ingredients in a simple coffee cookie recipe to give it a tropical twist. Coffee lovers will definitely appreciate these flavorful treats. So celebrate National Coffee Day and bake a batch of coffee and nut cookies with a little aloha!

Recipe

(Adapted from Ferra Coffee) 

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• 2/3 cup sugar (we used C&H brand), granulated white
• 2 tablespoons roasted ground coffee (we used Hawaiian Kona coffee)
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand) 
• ½ cup chopped nuts (we used Mauna Loa macadamia nut pieces)

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the shortening with the sugar. Mix in the ground coffee. Beat in the egg. Add the flour.

Mix in the vanilla and nuts. Blend well until cookie dough forms. Use a small scoop to drop the dough at least two inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to a crisp on wire racks. Yield: Approximately 1 ½ dozen coffee cookies. 

Notes

• These cookies spread while baking and are soft when they come out of the oven. When cool, the edges become crisp while the center is somewhat chewy.
• Search our blog for recipes containing coffee as an ingredient. Also peruse for more posts on other cookie recipes.