Tuesday, December 15, 2009

TWD—Cafe Volcano Cookies

Our recipe this week as we bake our way through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours book was chosen by MacDuff of The Lonely Sidecar.  She chose a simple cookie—Cafe Volcano Cookies.

These should at least win for easiest Dorie recipe with the fewest ingredients.  Do not get me wrong, I like them.  But I wish I would have liked them more than I did.  They are REALLY crunchy and when you first take a bite, they crumble and fall apart. 

I used one cup of walnuts and one cup of pecans for these.  I also used a good heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder instead of the espresso powder.  But really, what a surprise that I didn’t change these up more than that!  (It’s been a busy, crazy week or else I might have played around more with these.)

I’m not sure I would see these and think volcano, but they did puff up a little and well, then they do harden like lava, so I suppose that works.

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I toasted the nuts as instructed and I know for sure that I didn’t over toast them, but I felt like once the cookies were baked that the nuts are a little more toasty than I like.  If I ever make these again, I will just not toast the nuts at all. 

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I also felt like the walnuts overpowered the pecans, so if I make them again, I will just have one kind of nut in them.

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I DO like that these are gluten free and may make these for some neighbors who eat gluten free.  Thanks, MacDuff, for the very simple pick this week, it was great for the week I had!  You can find the recipe for these at The Lonely Sidecar or get the book!  Check out the other TWD baker’s volcanoes here.

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Taylor and Sam built a fun track the other day with the Thomas the Tank Engine set we have and I thought it was pretty cool that the track even went under the table.

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Check out this short video of Scott at one of his basketball games.  He often complains that he is the shortest kid in 6th grade and too short to play basketball (although he loves it).  But watch this awesome shot he makes!

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Sam has been going around with a plastic hammer “fixin’” things (aka—banging the crud out of everything).  But he’s sure doggone cute as he really thinks he’s doing good!

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Can’t hardly stand the cuteness!

Parker is the biggest goofball of them all.

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Wait, Scott is just as big of a goofball as Parker!

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28 comments:

Lisa Ernst said...

I always try to come by on Tuesday morning to see what new creation you've made (and altered from the original recipe). I have to admit that this particular cookie doesn't call my name as much as some of the others. I love nuts and I guess as a showcase for nuts, this cookie would work well.

Deb said...

Way to go Scott that was a great shot. How was the ornament exchange I want details.

Hindy said...

Easy - and yet I managed to mess up this recipe. Your photos really make this cookie look perfect!

Mona said...

your sons are so cute!

hmmm crunchy cookies don't sound very appealing to me. Who wants to eat a cookie that is as hard as lave?

Kayte said...

Ugly cookies, cute kids! Seriously ugly cookies here, too, but we LOVED them! Tell Scott that was one great hoop shot!

Welcome to our crazy blessed life said...

First of all your boys are the cutest. Second of all I love the cookbook rack in the corner with the Dorie cookbook and the pioneer woman cookbook on it. Third of all I need to try these with cocoas powder! :)

Unknown said...

Katrina--your cookies look great but your sons are way cuter! ;) This was an interesting cookie, that's for sure!

Megan said...

I hear the same complaints from Alexander - he's shorter than most of the boys (because most of them are older than him) but man can he sink it - just like Scott! It proves you don't have to be super tall to be good.

I'm actually surprised you didn't do more to the cookies - but like you said, time is short (and Christmas is almost here!).

Nancy/n.o.e said...

I love it - come for the cookies and get all the bonus pictures of your boys - too adorable!! These cookies were easy and I really ended up liking them. Maybe if you baked them a minute or two less? They are really good when the middles are chewy.

Anonymous said...

Yours look much more like cookies than mine. Your boys are so cute!

spike. said...

I used pecans and walnuts too. Sorry these weren't your fav but would make a good gluten free treat

Unknown said...

These look delicious! I love crumbly, crunchy stuff! Maybe you could send them over to me, since you didn't like them :P :P

Susan said...

Your boys are so cute! Your cookies look great! I am making round two of these and using cocoa powder this time (used espresso the first time). Can't wait to try them. :)

Leslie said...

Sorry these didn't wow you...but how can you concentrate on cookies with all those cute boys around??? And that big photo of Parker...you can really tell that boy is your son!

Anonymous said...

Your cookies look great. I'll have to try them with cocoa powder.

Anonymous said...

Your cookies look great! I'm going to try the cocoa powder next time and maybe a dip in some chocolate.

Sarah said...

I enjoyed how simple these were, but didn't love them either. Not a crunchy cookie fan...

Jacque said...

Ooh, I get it now... they're like lava, sort of. Duh! LOL, anyway, yours look nice and dark and chocolatey. I'm thinking a little less toasting would have been good, they were almost bitter in some bites.

Those are some cute munchkins you've got there!

vibi said...

WOW! Yours are sooooo shiny and they are the only ones I've seen that actually look like volcanos!

Well done woman!

Mimi said...

The cocoa powder sounds like a good twist on this recipe. I like nuts, but no one else at my house was going for these, they ate all the snickerdoodles.
Your boys are so darn cute. Scott won't be the shortest boy for long. My shorty was 6ft. by 8th grade.
Mimi

Flourchild said...

Yep I agree easy to make but messy. I was not to impressed. Your cookies look so much better then mine. I hurried and made them the night before so Im thinking I just rushed...thats why they spread...

Anonymous said...

Love the pictures of the boys and thanks for the suggestions on the pecan pie. I think I am going to go the easy route and make a small one for my assistant who loves pecan pie. I am trying to be hopeful after last year's less than successful pecan pumpkin pie...

Eliana said...

The cookie looks great but your beautiful boys look better.

Clumbsy Cookie said...

Can not see the video Katrina :( but way to go Scott anyway! I've read so many mixed thing about those cookies I'm tempeted to try them to decide for myself...

TeaLady said...

Yep...these were good. And so easy. I also used coco powder and pecans. And I did like them. Too bad they weren't really for you.

Unplanned Cooking said...

Your boys are so cute! That must be fun to watch him play basketball -- we're not quite there yet. A few more years.

Jenni Hinckley said...

I am so glad you commented on our blog! I love all these cookie recipes that you have. Taylor has been so fun to have in my class- he always makes me laugh and he is such a sweetheart!

margot said...

I felt exactly they same way about the walnuts. Your boys are much more photogenic than these cookies (yours do look really good, though), great pictures!