Tuesday, March 23, 2010

TWD—Dulce De Leche Duos and A Great New Blog

I want to start off my post today letting you know about a great new blog by a wonderful local chef I’ve been taking classes from, Paige Vandegrift.  This lady can cook! ;)  She’s a Le Cordon Bleu in London, professionally trained chef and I’ve had the pleasure of attending many of her cooking classes over the last year or so.  She has started a blog and I love it!  I’m lucky enough to be able to take her classes, now she’s sharing her knowledge in a blog.  Check it out and follow along!  Her blog is called A Cooking Life.  She’s just getting started, but has already shared a wealth of knowledge pertinent to anyone interested in cooking/baking and doing it well.

Our recipe for TWD this week was chosen by Jodie from Beansy Loves Cake.  Check out all her awesome cakes, you can also get this recipe on her blog!  For our TWD baking group, she chose Dulce De Leche Duos. These cookies are found on page 161 in Dorie’s book, Baking From My Home to Yours.

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Is this what they’re supposed to look like?  I thought that Dorie’s description of these cookies was interesting—“round and flatish, crisp on the outside and soft, almost cakey and just a little chewy in their skinny centers.”  ???

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This WAS good, but I’d have preferred a more crisp cookie.  I actually only filled this one cookie.  Sam is loving the plain cookies.  He ate four in one sitting.  I think they do have an interesting taste with the dulce de leche in the dough.

My cookies were mostly soft and a little chewy.  I think I was afraid to overbake them, so they weren’t crispy at all.  I did bake them for 10 minutes though.  I baked off 18 cookies or so, then decided to do my “playing around”.  I wanted a thicker cookie and I for sure wanted chocolate involved.  So I added 1/2 cup flour, some pecans and chocolate chips to the rest of the dough and baked off more cookies.  Then I drizzled them with some of the dulce de leche and some melted chocolate AND I sprinkled some with more chopped pecans.

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The cookies were good.  That said, I don’t think I’ll make this recipe again.  For some reason, I don’t love dulce de leche, there’s something about it.  I love caramel.  Is there no salt or not enough in the dulce?  It just doesn’t taste quite right to me.   But I love trying new cookies and recipes, so thanks to Jodie for picking this one.  And I ALWAYS have fun playing around.  So of course, I' wasn’t done there!

This recipe made a lot of dough.  I got to where I didn’t feel like baking any more cookies, so I stuck the rest of the dough in my three little cake pans.  I sprinkled one of them with more chopped pecans.  I had turtles on my mind.

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I purposely baked these slightly underbaked.  These came out with more of a texture I wanted.  Thick, with a crispy outside and chewy-gooey inside.  And you had to know, perfect for building a sundae on top!

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A little chocolate ice cream on top, how about some more of that melted chocolate, more pecans and that dulce de leche.  '

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Sorry, no inside picture, Kevin ate the thing before I could get one of those shots.  (I forced him in to it.)

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Now, go check out Paige’s blog, A Cooking Life

41 comments:

Cristine said...

Oh wow... those second cookies with the chocolate and nuts look amazing! Great job!

Lisa Ernst said...

This is a great progression,starting out kind of staid and basic and building to the ultimate ice cream and sauce topped cakes! I would love to indulge in this about now!!!!

Bella Baker said...

holy!! That sundae!! I am speechless! I literally want to put my entire face into that sundae! WOW!

Cathy said...

Sounds like you and I had a similar reaction to the taste of DDL! I may try to make my own next time (David Lebovitz's recipe includes some salt) and see if I like these any better. Tell you what though - I have little doubt that I could plow through one of your cookie/chocolate/pecan creations!!

chocolatechic said...

You are just brilliant.

I love what you did with them

Flourchild said...

Girl Im telling you..you went over the top with these..holy cow..I would weigh 5 hundred pounds if I lived at your house!
My cookies look similar to yours! I loved this recipe too!

Welcome to our crazy blessed life said...

You are always so creative on your baking! :) Have you ever had a Pazookie from BJ's? They are a little like your pan cookies. I will check out the cooks blog. What fun!

Anne said...

Oh wow- with pecans and the drizzled chocolate they look amazing! :) Awesome job Katrina!

Pamela said...

Well, I definitely like the way that sundae looks. I agree about the DDL. I would much prefer home made caramel to it any old time! Great options you made!

Unknown said...

great ideas! i really loved the originals, but mine were not crispy at all

Valen said...

I'm drooling from all the pics! I will be sure to check out the blog.

Leslie said...

I love how you always make the best of the recipe and turn it into something we can crave! I felt exactly the same way about these. I don't love dulce de leche though I heart caramel in a serious way.

spike. said...

wow, the variations just get better and better! Even if these weren't your fav, you still made some tasty looking treats

Tia said...

oh my goodnes. those sundaes are so yummy looking. that just made this cookie go from good to AMAZING. great idea and let's just say, you've got some lucky boys in your house can i come over for dessert!?

Amber Marie said...

WOW - that looks over-the-top delicious! Great combination of pecans and chocolate and ice cream and all sorts of goodness.

CDC said...

wow! and a great way to use the leftovers! thank you for the tips about the new blogger:)

Paula said...

Katrina, I had the same feeling about having so much dough and being tired of making them. Looks like you had a good time with final cookies though.

Unknown said...

My cookies weren't crispy either but I still loved them on their own. With the dulce sandwiched between they were way too sweet though. I was definitely sick of making them by the time I finished the dough and I only made a 1/2 batch! Love your sundae version as well as the ones with more flour - I may go that route next time!

Mimi said...

Way to go! You always manage to make the most interesting and tasty variations of the recipe. I really don't like the DDL that you buy in the store. The homemade was much more caramel tasting.
Mimi

Jodie said...

What? Those last pics look amazing! Chocolate and DDL? YUM!

Gourmified said...

Ahem...you and your "turtles"! Haahaa! Both cookies look delicious!

Heather said...

Like the way you've played around with them. And lucky you to be able to have cooking lessons!

Amanda said...

Wow girl! You always come up with so many different combos! That first cookie picture looks like you braided the caramel! LOL I had to do a rewind this week, didn't have the ingredients. Still want to make them though!

Jessica of My Baking Heart said...

Wow! I just love your variations - you always amaze me! :)

The Cooking Photographer said...

Lol! Love love love how this started with an innocent little cookie and went to something completely over the top.

Ashley aka Eclectic Connoisseur said...

That sundae looks amazing!

CookiePie said...

WOW - you took that one recipe and made so many fabulous treats! I wouldn't have waited for you to take the photo either :)

Chats the Comfy Cook said...

I love what you did with the chocolate. You inspired me to make these and to fool around with them. I enjoy doing that, more than following recipes.

TeaLady said...

Could you make those just a little more DECANDENT please!!! Love the drizzled cookies and the little cakes. Dulce ice cream would have been maybe a little over the top. HAHHAHAHAHA

Art and Appetite said...

I love how you added nuts on this one! What a nice added texture! Thanks Katrina for sharing this!

Valerie Gamine said...

Those cookies are loaded! I love it, you are so my hero right now. But then again I'm also jealous that you are taking a cooking class. :)

Anonymous said...

The sundae looks so good! I love turtle anything! My cookies were crisp, but they got soft and chewy after filling them and leaving them overnight.

mike said...

Leave it to you to "Turtle" it! Looks fantastic! I love how you come up with all these great ideas, I can barely get the regular recipe done! How neat for Kevin and your boys to be able to eat all those great treats! Mine were definitely chewy - and very good - another "make again" cookie. Sundae-riffic!

Julie said...

My diet is waving at me on its way out the window!

Valerie said...

I love how you always change things and make them all your own.

One of these times that you're out in Utah we should get together for lunch or something!! I know you've been busy when you come out, but if you ever have time, let me know. I can even send you my cell number for you to call or text if you just happen to have some time.

Maria said...

Your posts always make me hungry! Wish I had some sugar now:) I will go check out the new blog. Thanks!

Teanna said...

What are you DOING TO ME!?!! I want to come to your house every weekend when you are playing around with Dorie's recipes!!!

Kayte said...

OMW, I knew there was a chance you were going to chocolate these up a bit, but I had no idea how great that was all going to look. You are so creative and it's always a mistake to show my guys your food as then they want me to do that! Love all your ideas for this.

PheMom said...

So... don't take this the wrong way, but SHUT.UP. Seriously! I am dying now that I didn't think of that sunday and that I don't have one in front of me right now. When you get out here to Utah, and we can get together and meet in person, we are so going to have to make this! YUM! (You are going to get together with me and join The Hive (http://pioneerpalate.blogspot.com) and all that when you guys get here, right? :) )

Lisa said...

Gosh, talk about going oingo-boingo with some cookie dough! You definitley had fun with it! The picture of the one cookie you filled with dlc looked so pretty!

Unknown said...

You just had to chocolate these up. I was so expecting it :P :P Thanks for the link, I really like reading professional's blogs!