From The Rookie to Dragonheart, Dennis Quaid has been capturing hearts on the screen for years. I discovered his off-screen charm as well when I visited his lavish estate in California’s beautiful wine country. The charming actor invited me for a weekend to play some golf and to jam with his band The Sharks. I had a great time with this beloved icon and discovered numerous new things about him–the most striking being his love for espresso. Each room in his house has its own espresso machine that matches the decor. I asked, “Denny, why espresso?”. He just looked at me and said, “It’s the fanciest.” Denny’s logic is airtight; espresso is pretty damn classy. This recipe is adapted from Toll House chocolate chip cookies, but is inspired by our good friend Dennis Quaid. With a decadent chocolate body carrying a light coffee flavor, these slightly saltier cookies are perfect with milk or crumbled over ice cream.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup espresso powder (or finely ground coffee)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (10-12 oz)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Photo by Liz Tadie
3. Beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
Photo by Liz Tadie
4. Beat in eggs one at a time.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients gradually until fully combined.
Photo by Liz Tadie
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Spoon dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper using a spoon, making cookies as equal in size as possible. You can make the cookies whatever size you want; I usually make them about 2-3 tablespoons each.
Photo by Liz Tadie
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for 20-30 minutes.
Photo by Liz Tadie
Classy Tips:
If you want smaller cookies use a melon baller to measure out your scoops. This will also increase your sophistication by at least tenfold.
To make the cookies sweeter, measure both granulated sugar and brown sugar at 3/4 cup and use unsalted butter.
Planning an intimate date with Dennis Quaid? Make him a batch and get ready for a successfully, classy encounter.