Frosted Chocolate Mocha Bites

These moist, cake-like cookies make a pretty finish to a meal, and are perfect when you want something that's not gooey sweet. Adapted from a recipe by cookbook author Jeanne Voltz.(Adopted 9/06)

• Ready In: 33 mins
• Serves: 48
• Yields: 4-5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• For the Cookies

• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  cocoa (Dutch-processed makes richer cookies)
• 2⁄3 cup canola oil
• 1  egg
• 2 1⁄4 cups flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1  pinch salt
• 3⁄4 cup plain yogurt
• 1⁄4 cup  espresso
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 3⁄4 cup  chopped walnuts

• For the Glaze

• 1  tablespoon  melted butter
• 1  cup  sifted powdered sugar
• 1  tablespoon  cocoa
• 3  tablespoons  espresso (hot)
• 1  pinch salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄4 cup  finely chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
2. For the cookies, combine sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl, then stir in oil and mix until well-blended.
3. Beat in egg.
4. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in one bowl and the yogurt, espresso and vanilla in another.
5. Alternate adding these mixtures, a little at a time, into the chocolate mixture.
6. When fully mixed, fold in the walnuts.
7. Drop onto a cookie sheet in mounds about the size of walnuts.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes@ 375 degrees, or until the top of the cookies start to crack.
9. Remove and cool on wire racks.
10. Make the glaze, mixing the butter, powdered sugar& cocoa, then beating in the espresso, salt& vanilla.
11. Drizzle over the cooled cookies (for a no-mess solution, pour it into a plastic sandwich bag and poke a hole in one corner!) Then, before glaze sets, sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.