Making a Coffee Bean Cookie Roller

I recently watched The Apothecary Diaries on Netflix and well, I'm not trying to say I am easy to influence, but here I am... making a cooking device inspired by victorian pillmaker machines.

In those times pharmacists would mix medicinal ingredients with a binder to form a paste, and then use specialized devices to cut and shape the mixture into individual pills. This step made the medicine easier to take and allowed for a more controlled dosage.

I really liked the concept but didn´t quite have the lofty goal of starting a victorian style apothecary in mind. I was mainly interested in using it to shape and dosage a more modern medicine, namely coffee and chocolate. Ok, I wanted it to make cookies, and not precisely the healthy kind.

You see a while back I came across a recipe for coffee bean shaped cookies on they internet. They looked absolutely amazing and I couldn´t help but try the recipe. However, altough the results were great I felt that going to the hassle of shaping every cookie by hand was definetely not worth it.

So when I started thinking about the pillmaker machine I figured it was precisely what was needed to be able to make large batches with ease, and with the added benefit that the dough would be divided evenly, and the uniform size would lead to a more consistent baking process.

Here in this instructable I am going to show you how you can make your very own coffee bean cookie roller and adapt the design, and then share a recipe so you can put it to good use straight away!

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Here´s what you are gonna need:

For the roller:

1. Access to a 3D printer
2. Some PETg

For the coffee bean cookies:

1. 2 tablespoons of espresso or very concentrated coffee
2. 15g of cocoa powder,
3. 50g powdered sugar
4. 75g of room temperature butter
5. 40g cornstarch
6. 100g flour
7. a pinch of salt

The first thing I needed to do was decide on the size and profile of the grooves that shape the dough into beans. I decided against using a simple eliptical contour to have more control of the shape and get a more bean-like appeareance. Also I went for a 3cm cookie for a 1-2 bite cookie.

The idea was for the bean to be a decent so it could be served as a single serving alongside a small cup of espresso.

I then repeated the contour several times leaving a 0.8 space in between to make 3d printable cutting edge.

The next thin was adding the side walls for containment. They help to keep the top and bottom grooves aligned while rolling. The depth is crucial. they need to be taller than the cutting edge to help with alignment before the grooves start cutting into the dough.

After extruding, to help the dough cýlinder enter into the grooved section, I added bevels to both parts of the roller.

I then incorporated a flat area adjacent to the grooved section, this is where the dough is shaped into a cylinder before getting divided.

After that it was a matter of testing the prototype to find the ideal side wall for the bottom part. This is crucial because it helps forming the dough into the right diameter for the rolling process.

Rolling the dough using the flat side of the top roller you can reduce the section until contact is made with the side wall, meaning the right measurement has been reached.

I found 20.5mm to be a good value, but it might ttake some more testing to get to the swet spot.

Now it's time to print your own roller!

I've included the STL files, as well as the CAD version in case you want to modify it to your liking.

As for the prints, I suggest using PETg, because it is going to be in contact with food. Also if possible reduce the layer height to keep the surface as smooth as possible.

Although I could explain the whole process of making the dough for the beans, it is't an original recipe of mine. I followed this recipe:

https://thecookingfoodie.com/recipe/coffee-bean-cookies-recipe/#recipe

In there you will find a detailed explanation of the steps and it also include a printing file of the recipe.

Now it's time to shape the dough into beautiful beans. First use the flat side of the roller to shape the dough into a cylinder.

Once its ready flip it, and use the grooved section to shape the dough into individual beans with back and forth motions,

Next you can use a knife or toothpick to shape the center groove.

And your coffee bean cookie is ready to bake!

Set your beans in a tray and chill for roughly an hour before cooking. Bake for 10-15 minutes in a preheated oven.

Now it´s time to enjoy your lovely cooffee bean cookies with a steaming mug of your drink of choice.

Just dont forget to raise your pinky as you lift your cup and gobble your cookies. It may no longer be a necessary gesture but it definetely makes you feel all the better about all the calories that you are eating.

Next you can go and tell everyone about the latest advancements in cookie making technology and encourage them to try them too!

I hope you felt thrilled being part of progress with this instructable and farewell!