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:

The Insomniac's Dream  posted:

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).

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

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

Tornado Cookies
                                   ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Cookie:

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.