Made these for Christmas. I was looking for a chocolate russian tea cake-type of cookie, and tried these. I made the following minor adjustments, after reading the reviews: to increase the coffee flavor, I used 3 Starbucks Via packets (their very strong instant coffee). There is no missing the coffee flavor now, and if anything it might be a little too strong. Next time I bake these, I'll use 2 Via packets. I also chopped the nuts then briefly toasted them in the oven on a baking sheet (5 minutes or so) to improve their flavor. I think it really helped. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. I would have liked my cookies to be a bit more spherical....they flattened out during baking, even after I refrigeraged them for 20 minutes prior to baking. Perhaps next time I'll increase the flour just slightly. The flavor is good, and for chocolate and coffee lovers it's perfect. This is not a cookie that, say, children would like (unless the child is my coffee loving 13 year old!) because of the strong coffee flavor, but I think most adults will enjoy the balance of coffee and nuts. Also, the confectioners sugar really balances the slightly bitter coffee taste perfectly. I think I would call the flavor of these cookies, "sophisticated".

Great cookie for Christmas exchange. I dipped in a simple glaze frosting (powdered sugar, vanilla, milk) while cookies were still warm. Nice finish.

Very good. I used 4 teaspoons of vanilla plus 2 teaspoons of water to dissolve the coffee in. I also added an extra 1/4 c. of flour and 1 tsp of cinnamon. (I like cinnamon with chocolate.) I also mixed in some 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips. I have eaten too many of these today!!!

Absolutely delicious! I added a dash more of the instant coffee to the recipe. I found these cookies practically melt in your mouth! These cookies aren't just for Christmas!! A great crowd pleaser!!

I was thoroughly disappointed with this cookie. I followed the directions exactly as stated yet it was too bitter and just didn't taste right. I've NEVER thrown anything away but I couldn't figure out a way to tweak this recipe to improve the flavor so they all ended up in the "recycle bin". For those wanting to try this, the flour/butter/sugar ratio doesn't seem to work (it's too dry and not sweet enough) and I feel 1/4 cup cocoa powder is a bit too much (it's too bitter) - maybe start with 2 tablespoons and add more as needed. Also, as suggested by another reviewer, 2 teaspoons of coffee is probably enough. Good luck.

This recipe has been a perennial Christmas favourite in my family for years - what a surprise to find it on this site. The only thing we do differently is to dissolve 2 tsp of instant coffee into 1 tbsp of hot water prior to adding it to the butter mixture (rather than adding 2 tbsp of instant coffee to the dry ingredients). Either way, give it a try - you won't be disappointed!

I've been searching for this recipe since Christmas 1982, when a friend brought these scrumptious things to a cookie swap. The recipe got lost as the years rolled on. We are thrilled to have found and baked these cookies. Can't tell you how happy we are! ENJOY!

Great Chrtismas cookie. I used 2 t. coffee instead of 1 T., turned out great.