Make the Custom Chocolate Shards

1. Melt the white chocolate wafers over a double boiler (heat safe bowl over a boiling pot of water) OR in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
2. Divide the melted white chocolate evenly into two separate small bowls.
3. Stir the espresso powder into the first bowl. Depending on how hot your white chocolate is, this powder will likely not melt or dissolve in the chocolate. That’s okay! You’ll still taste the coffee flavour, there won’t be a granular texture.
4. Stir the pumpkin pie spice into the second bowl.
5. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour both chocolates onto the pan side-by-side and spread them thin with a spatula.
6. Place the pan in the freezer for 10–15 minutes until solid while you make the cookie dough.
7. Chop or break the frozen chocolate into chunks. Keep the shards in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.

Mix the Cookie Dough

1. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the melted, cooled butter and whisk gently to blend.
2. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy. Stir in the pumpkin puree.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together until just combined.
5. Gently fold in the chilled custom espresso and pumpkin spice white chocolate shards. Save some shards to top the cookie dough before baking.
6. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
8. Use a cookie scoop to divide the dough into 14 balls or weigh 50 g of dough for each ball. Roll the dough into smooth balls, place them 2 inches apart on the sheets, flatten the tops slightly and add the extra shards on the top of the ball.
9. Bake for 10 minutes. The edges should be set, golden and wrinkled, with the centres puffed and slightly cracked.
10. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.