Also, the store I went to did not have espresso beans, so I just used a ground chocolate-cappucino coffee (the kind that comes in a bag) and it worked well. I didn't bother to dust with cocoa powder as there was already chocolate flavor in the dough.

I made these today and they are delicious! I am a big coffee and espresso fan. 1& 1/8 inch diameter cookies are pretty small. When I took the dough out of the fridge, it was too hard to roll out even after 10 minutes, so I sliced it with a sharp knife, but they came out 2-3" in diameter. Next time I'll shape the dough into a roll about an inch in diameter to slice the cookies.

I made these last year and though they sounded great, no one liked the dough flavor and it made far less than the recipe stated. I made a different Martha butter cookie recipe and added the espresso beans (delicious!) and then used this filling recipe. They were wonderful and something different.

I can't speak to the flavors in this version of the recipe (I swapped in cocoa powder and a cream cheese filling) but I did have a few problems. There is no measurement for the amount of salt to add, though salt is listed in the directions. Based on similar recipes, I used a little more than 1/8 tsp. Also, the quantity is off. I doubled the recipe and got about 20 sandwich cookies. They are 1/8" thick and cooked in 8.5 minutes, so they were made properly. Regardless, they turned out great!

ADavis, I was thinking about using instant espresso as well, but I opted for the real thing, because instant espresso will melt into the batter. The purpose for the freshly ground espresso is not only the flavor, but the texture as well. I am wondering how this recipe turned out 2 1/2 dozen cookie sandwiches, when I only got about 7!

You can find this exact recipe on epicurious with the salt (which is 1/8 tsp) http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/CAPPUCCINO-CHOCOLATE-BITES-1232809

Re: 1st step - how much salt?

....But using 'all natural' ingredients, not artificial.

These sound yummy, but it would be great if Martha could also put out a recipe that can substitute lower calorie ingredients for the butter

Do you think I can use instant espresso rather than grinding beans?