Chocolate Espresso Buzz Cookies

Ingredients

• For cookies:
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 ounces dark chocolate
• For mocha filling:
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso
• 1- to 1 1/2-cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Set your oven racks in the upper and lower middle spots, then heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler, stirring now and then, until it is smooth. Set it aside to cool a bit. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the cooled chocolate until the color is even throughout.
3. In a small bowl, stir the salt and flour together. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in two additions, beating only until the dough comes together. Split the dough into two balls and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Dust a large work surface with flour. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/8-inch thick. Cut out approximately 24 cookies with a 2 inch fluted cookie cutter, or another cutter shape you like. Place them on the prepared baking sheets with 1-inch of space between each cookie. Bake until the tops look dry but have not cracked, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies completely.
5. Make the Mocha Filling: In a medium bowl, beat the butter with the cocoa powder, milk, and instant espresso. Beat in one cup confections sugar. Taste it, and if you want it sweeter, beat in another half cup of confectioners sugar.
6. Assemble Cookies: Spread mocha filling over half of the cookies. Cap them with the remaining cookies to make sandwiches.