Has anyone made this recipe (posted by pumpkinwaffles) without using the expresso powder? I'm having a hard time finding the expresso powder locally.

I actually just made this the other night for the first time. My grocery store didn't have the powder, so I just got ground espresso beans. I don't know what the difference is, except the powder would be finer? I thought it was wierd that there was no baking soda/powder in it, they were really thin. I think you could leave it out, personally I don't like coffee anyway and I'm not sure how much flavor it actually gave it, I think it only calls for a tsp or Tbsp. Good luck!

The espresso powder magnifies the chocolate flavor. You can usually find it in the coffee aisle. Medaglia D'Oro is a popular brand -- a small glass jar with a green lid.
http://www.medagliadoro.com/products.htm#products03
You can get a wonderful mocha flavor by adding two or more teaspoons.

The absence of a baking powder or soda gives you the option of using either kind of cocoa powder.

There are natural and Dutch-processed cocoa powders. Normally you can't substitute one for the other.

Baking soda is used with natural cocoa powder. Hershey's is the most popular brand.

Dutch-Processed (alkalized) cocoa powder is neutral and must be used in recipes that call for baking powder. Droste is very popular and the brand I find most often. Martha prefers Valrhona. (I haven't yet found that one on the shelves, but will order it someday soon to try it.)

I would recommend you try the recipe with with one and then the other and see which you prefer. I like using the Dutched cocoa.

Since I do not like coffee in any form, I never use it in this recipe. IMHO, they still taste great

I add tasters choice instant coffee granules! I also roll these cookies to at least 1/4" so they are thick and chewy... YUM!

i just used regular instant coffee (nescafe?). i smashed the granules a bit finer, but in the end i couldn't taste much of a coffee flavour. they were still nice tho

i know it's not local...so it's not going to help you TODAY...but
King Arthur Flour (.com) sells a great espresso powder

Thanks for the cocoa lesson, Honeydukes

I just used instant coffee. They are great, and I don't even like coffee

Thanks, Honeydukes!

Hi Honeydukes! Aww... someone noticed I was gone (sniff, sniff). We went a travelin' as my MIL was kind enough to watch the kids and it is off-season so a tad cheaper. I did get my 'CC fix' a couple of times if we had internet access and my DH just rolled his eyes, calling me an addict.

I haven't had my caffeine yet this morning, so a tad confused about the 'purple'. Are you talking about the shade I was trying to figure out from Halloween or the purple on the Easter Bunny's bow tie? If so, I used Wilton Purple as the Americolor didn't get the shade I wanted. Does that help?

Welcome back, TracyLH! I noticed you'd been absent from the boards for a while. Hope you had a ton of fun on your vacation...I'm so-o-o envious!

Thanks, GeminiRJ! Back to reality! I did try to scout out decorated cookies while I was there and about fell over at the prices. Once I get organized, I may have to post the pics I took as you all will die at the price for the amount of detailing. I saw the first one and thought, "Oh, my gosh! I have to tell the girls about this!"

Okay dumb question: What chocolate cookie recipe are we talking about? Does anyone have a link to it?

This one from Cookie Craft by Valerie Peterson.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-6959-Dark-Chocolate-Rolled-Sugar-Cookies.html