Inspired by the holiday coffee shop favorite, these chewy Gingerbread Latte Cookies pair the warm blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg with a milky espresso glaze. Easy to make and full of holiday cheer, they capture all the coziness of a gingerbread latte in cookie form.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
To make the dough: Working with an electric hand mixer in a large bowl, or using a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter, brown sugar, and molasses on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl.
Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. The mixture may look slightly curdled at this stage; that’s OK.
Add the flour, gingerbread spice, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt, and beat on low speed until no dry ingredients remain, scraping the bowl as needed, about 1 minute. The dough will be soft and sticky.
Use a level 2-Tablespoon Scoop to portion mounds of cookie dough (about 35g each) onto the prepared baking sheets, 10 to 11 per pan, spacing them evenly apart.
Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the edges are set and the centers are puffed but still soft. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets, about 30 minutes. The centers will collapse as they cool, yielding thin, chewy cookies. While the cookies cool, make the glaze.
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, espresso powder, and 4 teaspoons (19g) milk. Use a flexible spatula to mix slowly to combine, then more vigorously until a smooth consistency is achieved. Add more milk, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, as needed, to make a thick yet pourable glaze; aim for the consistency of glue.
Working with a few cookies at a time, use a pastry brush to apply a thin coating of glaze on top, then sprinkle with a light dusting of cinnamon. Repeat until all the cookies are glazed and dusted with cinnamon. Allow the cookies to rest at room temperature, undisturbed, for 10 to 15 minutes until the glaze is set.
Storage information: Store leftover Gingerbread Latte Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Want to prep the dough for the Gingerbread Latte Cookies ahead and bake later? Once the dough is mixed (step 4), refrigerate it, covered, for up to 48 hours. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes to soften slightly before scooping. Bake as directed.
