Monday, November 19, 2012

A Cookie Called Tornado

Every cookie should have a story and the Tornado Cookie has a fun one.  It all started in the evening a few Sundays ago when I should have had better things to do, but was cruising around Facebook.  I stumbled onto a conversation a blogger friend was having about me (well, my blog). It went like this:

Baking In A Tornado: So I told Tiny Artist (her son) that we will take pics of us baking cookies, and we can blog it (and he can even write a little bit!).
"Why?"
"Cause it'll be fun, and we'll be famous!"
"Really? Mom, everyone makes cookies, that doesn't make you famous like that Lady who makes Tornado Cookies."
Her friend asked: who makes Tornado Cookies?
She answered:  LOL, no one does. He was referring to Baking In A Tornado: but since he's 8, he got it all wrong.
Friend:ahhhhhh, gotcha. goodie though! another blog to check out with recipes! :-)
The Insomniac's Dream: She's pretty awesomesauce
Friend: yeah, yeah, way ahead of you - liking and reading now. ;-)
The Insomniac's Dream:Tell her I sent you :) She was a big inspiration in the beginning for me.

What just happened?  Someone I’ve never met thinks I’m awesomesauce, credits me with being an inspiration to her, and has gotten me a new reader? And on top of all that, her 8 year old has invented a name for a cookie and that name is in honor of my blog? So there you have it, a challenge of epic proportions (well, in my world).

A Cookie Called Tornado | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics



And just to make the game a little more challenging, I don’t have a beater. My 30 year old hand mixer has gone to the great hand-mixer graveyard in the sky. So here’s the challenge:

*Since it’s holiday season, I want it to be a holiday worthy cookie. 
*I want it to in some way reflect the boy who named it.
*I want to use ingredients Tiny Artist likes (his Mom has mentioned he likes peanut butter and chocolate).
*It has to be made without a beater.

So for the holidays, the cookie’s a Thumbprint, but a Chocolate one (no, I'm not reinventing the wheel here, just rearranging some spokes). For Tiny Artist, to reflect my idea of what art is, this cookie can be interpreted in different ways.  The outer coating and the center can go wherever your imagination takes you.

A couple of quick notes to Tiny Artist’s Mom: I know you are one for immediate gratification when it comes to baking, but plan ahead, the dough has to be refrigerated for a few hours or it’ll be too soft to work with.  Second, a suggestion:  While you’re waiting for the dough to cool you can run out and pick up a cookie sheet and some parchment paper.

So, because the accolades of one are far preferable to being obscure to all, may I present Tornado Cookies:



Tornado Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe

Tornado Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe

Tornado Cookies


The one with the mint “jacket” was our favorite, what’s yours?

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

Tornado Cookies
                                   ©www.BakingInATornado.com

3 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 package chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (like Keebler Dark Chocolate Fudge Stripes) 
Some outer coating suggestions:
Crushed Toffee (upper picture, back right cookie)
Crushed Peppermints (upper picture, front cookie) *See note below 
Chopped peanuts (upper picture, back left cookie)
Powdered Sugar (upper picture, middle cookie)
Multicolored Sprinkles or Nonpareils (upper picture, back center cookie)
Some center suggestions:
Rolos (I used this with Toffee chips outer coating)
White chocolate chips (I used this with peppermint outer coating)
Peanut butter baking chips (I used this with the chopped peanuts outer coating)
Raspberry baking chips (I used this with the powdered sugar outer coating)
Jam (I used this with the sprinkles outer coating)

Directions:
*Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl for 40 seconds. Stir. Continue to melt in 20 second bursts until it mixes smooth. Set aside to cool a little.
*Once the chocolate has cooled a little, wisk in the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Then mix in the flour and cocoa.  Last, mix in the crushed cookies.
*Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours (or overnight, if baking the next day).
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover cookie sheet with parchment if using candy as the outer coat.
*Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
*Roll each ball in an outer coating. With the more coarse coatings you’ll have to press the dough in, it doesn’t have to be perfectly round when you’re done. Stick the bottom of a wooden spoon into the top of the cookie and roll around to make an indentation.
*Bake for about 10 minutes or until they are set.
*When they come out of the oven, immediately inset your center option into the indentation.
*NOTE: If using peppermints, they will melt off of the cookie and into a puddle around the cookie. While it’s still hot and pliable, use a spatula to lift the candy off of the parchment and form a “jacket” around the cookie (see picture). Allow to harden like this.
*When your center melts, you can swirl it around with the bottom of your wooden spoon.




30 comments:

  1. Oh Karen, There is so much yumminess going on here! Always! I love the story about the Tornado cookies and they sound amazing! xx

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    1. Thanks you, this was such a fun little impromptu challenge!

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  2. That is so cool. Sometimes we don't realize our affect on others! Those cookies look delicious!

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    1. It's great that a simple conversation ended up being an inspiration!

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  3. Hey Karen, I am another blogger who doesn't know you but I've enjoyed reading your recipes. I just added your button to my sidebar. Check it out sometime. Esther Norine Designs

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    1. Thank you so much, I'm honored. I'll stop by and see it. I know you mentioned interest in the next Fly on the Wall group post, if still interested, DM or email me!

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  4. oh wow brilliant....sadly looks like its wayyy too much work for me...i'm too lazy....they look scrumptious though!

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    1. Yes, lots of steps but easy to do. If you're ever in the area, stop by. I'll make you some . . .

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  5. I loved this! I laughed so hard while reading, The Artist wanted to know what I was laughing at. He's heard all about the baking fail in our house that day and the Tornado Cookie, so I read him this post. He cracked up when I got to the part about "go out and buy a cookie sheet".

    I love, love, love Tiny Artist's graphic!

    The cookies sound delicious. They also sound like they are a lot of hard work. Well, 'tis the Season, yes?

    I can't wait for Tiny Artist to get home from school so I can read him this, show him the graphic, and get to planning which ingredients we're going to need for our very own batch of Tornado Cookies.

    Well done. Thanks so much for taking something he said totally out of context and making it something so fun!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thank Tiny Artist for me. Sometimes just a comment can be an inspiration...

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    2. I will. And I will tell him, "See, making cookies did make you famous." :)

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    3. Now I'm the one laughing out loud (but in an empty house).

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  6. He and I read this together and he loves his graphic. We're deciding which toppings and fillings. But then he looked at me confused, "YOU'RE making these?" "Well, yeah." "Oh, cause I was wondering why she made them, it's not like I'm going to swing by her house anytime soon."

    Oh, this kid. :)

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    1. Bet he keeps you on your toes! Tell him I have kids of my own and believe it or not they like cookies too...

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  7. These look amazing and now my mouth is watering. I'd go for the toffee ones in a heartbeat! I also love butter thumbprint cookies with raspberry jam in the center--when my son was younger, he actually found the recipe, baked them and then taught me how to make them! Yum!

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    1. Now that's a kid who know what he wants in a cookie and how to get it. Good for him!

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  8. Totally the one with the mint jacket!
    Looks like you were destined for awesomeness all around :)

    Lanaya
    www.raising-reagan.com

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    1. You have good taste in cookies. We're chocolate mint lovers around here, come on over any time!

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  9. They are so cute! I love them chocolate is always a good choice in my books!

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    1. Chocolate is always the first choice in our house too!

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  10. Oh! They look delicious! ALL of them! Must try!!! Loved the story of the tornado cookie! Very funny! You're more famous than you thought!

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    1. I guess I'm getting famous one 8 year old at a time!

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  11. So you can be "famous", even without a Facebook newsfeed! ;-) Love this!

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    1. As much as I'm enjoying my fame with the 8 year old set, I'd much rather have a FB newsfeed!

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  12. I'm going to say the Crushed Peppermints!

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  13. Um, toffee forever! Or Rolos. Or peppermints....They all look amazing. What a wonderful things to see someone talking about your blog. You are famous!!! And I love the word awesomesauce. How cute is that? Yeah, that's me; the girl who's learning something new everyday.

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    1. Awesomesauce was new to me too. She makes up her own word, then you get to guess what they mean. Keeps you thinking...

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  14. Wow, just imagine all the combinations you could make! Sounds yummy :)

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    1. Thanks, they were. My family liked all the combinations!

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