1-First step: Get the oven and pan ready Preheat your oven to 140°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so the cookies release cleanly after baking. This small step saves time later and keeps the bottoms from sticking or overbrowning.

2-Second step: Dissolve the coffee mixture Split the 32 grams of milk into two portions. Dissolve the 6 grams of instant espresso in a portion of hot milk, then dissolve the 35 grams of caster sugar and 1.2 grams of fine salt in the rest of the milk. Let both mixtures cool before using them. Cooling matters because warm liquid can loosen the butter too much and change the texture.

3-Third step: Soften the butter properly Bring the 100 grams of unsalted butter to about 20 to 22°C. At this temperature, the butter should feel soft but not oily. Whisk it until smooth. If you rush this step with very cold butter, the dough may look uneven. If the butter gets too warm, the cookies may spread more than you want.

4-Fourth step: Add the milk mixture slowly While whisking, add the sugar-salt-milk mixture gradually. This helps it blend into the butter instead of separating. Keep whisking until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Then whisk in the coffee mixture and the 25 grams of ground almond. The dough should look glossy and well combined.

5-Fifth step: Fold in the flour gently Sift in the 125 grams of cake flour and fold until just mixed. Use light strokes here. This is not the moment for aggressive stirring, because overmixing can build gluten and make the cookies tougher than you want.

6-Sixth step: Pipe the cookies Transfer the batter to a piping bag. A thick bag makes this easier because the dough is soft and needs steady pressure. Pipe 2.5-cm mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. This recipe makes about 66 cookies, so you will likely work in a few batches.

7-Seventh step: Bake with care Bake for 18 to 22 minutes at 140°C. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through so the cookies color evenly. Because ovens vary, keep an eye on the first tray and use it as your guide for the rest. A small test batch can help you adjust bake time if your oven runs hot or cool.

8-Eighth step: Cool before moving Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. This pause helps them firm up so they do not break apart while still soft.