Cappuccino Chocolate Bites

(Note: start cookies at least 40 minutes before you want to bake them. Start ganache at least 4 hours before you want to serve.)

To make ganache, place finely chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan and then pour over chocolate. Stir until smooth. Place plastic wrap on top of bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

To make cookies, in a medium bowl sift together flour, espresso powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla. With mixer on low, add in the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Pat dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

When ready, remove dough from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature 5-10 minutes. Roll dough between two sheets of parchment to 1/8 inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment. Cut out rounds of the dough with a 1-inch circular cutter and space at least 1-inch apart on a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Bake in the preheated oven until set (but not browned) approximately 8-9 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then remove them from the pans and let cool completely on wire racks.

Take ganache out of refrigerator and whisk to form soft peaks. Transfer ganache to a pastry bag and cut 1-inch off of one corner. Pipe a small dollop of ganache on the bottoms of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies and press lightly to adhere. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Enjoy!