The coffee comes through strongly, giving this crumbly shortbread intense flavor and caffeine buzz. Beware—don’t eat them too close to bedtime.

2 cups flour
1 cup walnuts
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp finely ground medium-roast coffee beans
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, firm, cut in several pieces
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp brandy (optional)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
70 whole coffee beans for garnish

1. Combine the flour, walnuts, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the walnuts are finely ground. Add the coffee grounds and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks damp and crumbly. Drizzle in the brandy and vanilla extract and pulse until the dough begins to clump up around the blade. Remove the dough, press it into a ball and knead by hand a few times.

2. Form the dough into a 12-inch-long log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight, or up to 3 days.

3. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Unwrap dough log, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices using a sharp knife. (If the dough crumbles when cutting into it, let it soften for several minutes.) Place the cookies at least 1 inch apart on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Press a coffee bean into the center of each cookie.

4. Bake the cookies 12 to 15 minutes, or until light golden brown at the edges, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Remove from oven, let sit for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely. These cookies are delicious fresh but even better the next day. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to one month.

Makes about 5 1/2 dozen

Adapted from Alice Medrich, Pure Dessert, Artisan, 2007

Photo by Leah Harb

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