Coffee Bears (Koffiebere)

We came across Cookies, a recipe book by Woman’s Weekly, in the local bookstore and bought the book to try out their recipe for latte squares: coffee-flavoured biscuits that are almost-crispy and almost-chewy at the same time.

This is a biscuit that begs to be made in the shape of a medium-sized bear, so that is what we did.

Ingredients

  • 2 x 18 gram instant latte sachets (e.g Nescafé’s Vanilla Latté)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) boiling water
  • 125 gram slightly softened butter
  • ¾ cup (165 gram) brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1½ cups (225 gram) plain flour
  • ¼ cup (35 gram) self-raising flour

Method

  1. Blend the latté sachets with the boiling water in a bowl.
  2. Beat the latté, softened butter, sugar and egg until smooth and creamy.
  3. Sift in the flour.
  4. Knead the dough on a well-floured surface until it is smooth.
  5. Cover and put it in the fridge for half an hour.
  6. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
  7. Roll dough out to a 5 mm thickness. This is easier between sheets of baking paper.
  8. Cut dough out with a medium-sized bear-shaped cutter. A well-rounded bear will ensure a stronger biscuits. Use coffee granules or mini milk choc bits for the eyes.
  9. Bake the biscuits on oven trays lined with baking paper for about 12 minutes.
  10. If you decide not to bake them on baking paper, use an egg lifter to loosen the biscuits the moment you take them from the oven, to ensure they don't stick to the oven trays.
  11. Cool on a rack and enjoy.