1. Melt the butter on low heat or in the microwave (don’t let it bubble). Pour it into a mixing bowl and chill in the fridge until it’s room temperature, about 20 minutes.
2. Stir in both sugars and whisk (or beat with a paddle attachment) until smooth and combined.
3. Add the egg and vanilla, then mix until everything is blended.
4. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, instant espresso, and salt.
5. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until combined—don’t overdo it.
6. With a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, shape 11 balls, and chill on a tray for 1 hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Bake 6 cookies per tray for 10–11 minutes.
8. Let cookies cool for 3 minutes on the tray; then lift to a wire rack to cool completely.

Whipping And Assembling the Mascarpone Filling

1. In a medium bowl (stand mixer or hand mixer), whip mascarpone, vanilla, confectioners sugar, agave/honey, and heavy cream together until stiff peaks form.
2. If you make this ahead, cover and chill until ready to pipe.
3. Add cream to a piping bag (a round tip works best). Pipe big swirls on top of each cooled cookie, starting in the center and moving out.
4. Dust all cookies lightly with cocoa powder for that tiramisu finish.

Baking Wisdom from the Pros

1. The melted butter needs time to cool for chewy, not greasy cookies.
2. Don’t skip the chill: setting the dough keeps your cookies thick.
3. Use real mascarpone, not cream cheese, for the classic tiramisu flavor.
4. Always cool cookies before piping, or the cream will melt right off.