Tuesday, December 15, 2009

TWD: Cafe Volcano Cookies


Meringues are not really my thing. If these cookies weren't so incredibly easy to make, I probably would have skipped them, as these are a coffee-flavored meringue cookie. A few things persuaded me to go forward anyway: as I mentioned, they are incredibly easy - mix chopped nuts, sugar, espresso powder and egg white in pan until just warm, spoon onto baking sheet, bake; they are coffee flavored - I'm pretty much a sucker for coffee-flavored anything; Dorie describes them as higgledy-piggledy. How could I possibly skip something with such a wonderful description?! So, I whipped them up in about 5 minutes + baking time.


They aren't the most attractive cookies - Dorie pretty much hit the nail on the head with "higgledy-piggledy" but what about the taste?

It took 3 cookies for me to figure out whether I liked them or not. Actually, I'm still not entirely sure. I guess the thing is this - I didn't immediately love them, but I didn't necessarily dislike them either. I enjoyed the melt-in-your-mouthiness of them, but they were a little crunchy for my taste. The coffee could have been a bit stronger, as it was it added a bitterness that wasn't necessarily discernible as coffee. I think a little cocoa could have improved things. I found these cookies interesting, but given my lackluster reaction to them, they probably aren't something I would make again. As a side-note, they are gluten-free and they would be easy to flavor in different ways, so they might be something to think about for the holidays if you are avoiding gluten.

I am glad I tried them, because I found the technique fascinating and fun, so thanks to MacDuff of The Lonely Sidecar for choosing this recipe. Visit the TWD blogroll to see how everyone else's cookies turned out.


15 comments:

  1. Sarah , your cookies look wonderful! I didn't love these cookies, but am glad I made them!!

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  2. These were incredibly easy. Mine are in the oven. Waiting patiently. Yours look great. Like little mounds of nuts and sugar.

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  3. LOL on the taking you three cookies to decide if you liked them or not...that is too too funny! Yours look great...I think you like them. Guys here inhaled them...didn't even get a photo of a taste tester this week as they were gone in a flash!

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  4. These cookies were so easy, I loved that about these. They were a big hit here.

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  5. Your cookies look absolutely perfect! I loved the ease and the technique, and I loved the taste too, in one of those sneak-up-on-you kind of ways. I just kept wanting another, and I love the chewiness.

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  6. Yours sure seemed to have taken a nice round shape. Mine seem to have taken interesting shapes of their own.
    Yep, if they were just a little chewier and not so crunchy...I wonder if underbaking them would do that.

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  7. Ok, I'm super jealous - those look like cookies!! Wait until you see my little ugly pile of nuts :) These were super easy, which makes me question how I managed to screw them up. Glad we gave them a shot, but I'm with you - I won't be making them again.

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  8. I can attest that cocoa does make them better. I have made them twice, once with espresso and once with cocoa and while both were good, the cocoa were better. :) Yours look perfect!

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  9. How did you get your cookies to be so round. Mine were truly as Dorie described. I had a few that looked nice but most were weird looking but I liked them.....A little too sweet.

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  10. Ciao Sarah, your cookies look just perfect !! I'm going to dip the leftovers in chocolate , we'll see !

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  11. These cookies were rather quirky, no question about it. You certainly got a pretty photo against that dark wicker. Well done!

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  12. Fascinating is a good word for these! I enjoyed the mystery of this recipe. Yours turned out beautiful! Too bad you're not crazy about them, but at least they weren't a ton of work.

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  13. Great looking cookies. Im glad you enjoyed making them. SOrry you didn't like them. I didn't care for the either.

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  14. Sorry you didn't like these! I wasn't expecting to, but sent most of them away anyhow.
    They look great!

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  15. Your cookies look terrific! It was really fun to see the results from such a unique method.

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