Coffee molasses cookies

These cookies are much like gingerbread, but with the deep flavour of good coffee.

Ingredients (makes 40 cookies):
3 tbsp FairPrice Gold Freeze Dried Coffee
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
170g butter, melted
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar and
another 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup un-sulphured molasses

Method:
1. Place coffee granules in a small mortar and pestle and ground so that it breaks down into a fine powder.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and the ground coffee.
3. In another bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar together for 2 or 3 minutes using an electric mixer.
4. Add the egg and yolk, vanilla extract and molasses and beat again, until smooth, about 2 minutes.
5. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a smooth dough, about 2 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 180 deg C and lightly grease a cookie sheet.
7. Working with two teaspoons, use one teaspoon to scoop up some of the cookie dough and use the other to drop the dough onto the cookie sheet.
8. Take a large pinch of granulated sugar and sprinkle a light layer over each cookie.
9. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies will not feel like they are done when you take them out. They should barely be starting to set at the edges and feel quite foamy in the middle when you remove them from the oven.
10. Leave to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Tips:
Recipe uses FairPrice Gold Freeze Dried Coffee ($8.25, 200g) available at all FairPrice supermarkets.

Recipe source: Today newspaper (5 Mar 2009)