Recipe: Coffee sugar cookies

COFFEE SUGAR COOKIES

Makes about 4 dozen.

Note: The dough must chill 1¹/₂hours before shaping the cookies. Adapted slightly from a recipe in "Maxwell House Coffee Drinks and Desserts Cookbook."

• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened

• 1¹/₄c. sugar, divided, plus more as needed

• 2 eggs

• 2 tbsp. instant coffee crystals or powder

• 2 c. flour

•¹/₂tsp. baking powder

• ¹/₄tsp cinnamon

• ¹/₄tsp. salt

Directions

In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly and add the instant coffee and vanilla, stirring to pretty much dissolve the coffee.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture and beat, scraping the bowl, until the batter comes together and doesn't look curdled. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Chill at least 1¹/₂hours.

When dough is chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put the remaining¹/₄cup of sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, roll each in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, on 2 1/2-inch centers (about 16 to the cookie sheet -- they spread). Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are light brown around the edges. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

Nutrition information per cookie:

Carbohydrates9 gSaturated fat3 gCalcium6 mg

Protein1 gCholesterol19 mgDietary fiber0 g