Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Cake of the Week: Fluffy Puffy Coffee Spice Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts

Oh wow…good birthday. Thanks to all who participated in any way! Let’s just say that my day consisted of a run, Indian buffet (one of my many hobbies), a cookies and cream cupcake…and shortly thereafter, a chocolate cupcake (from Hello Cupcake - thank you work!), and finally a whole chocolate cake (thank you LLC!) to round off the evening. Yowza!!!

I also got some good books, so look forward to hearing about those.

And now, since I didn’t give you a Cake of the Week yesterday, here it is today.

I don’t think of myself as particularly “creative.” You all know that I’m more of an art appreciator than an artist. But I do have my creative moments, and they usually happen in the kitchen.  Tried and true recipes are always good, and definitely hold a solid place in my repertoire. But there’s always that whispering question, What if…? I mean, nothing risked, nothing gained, right?

I found myself in that kind of mindset this weekend. I got in my kitchen, emptied my cupboards of all things yummy, and started mixing up a storm.

The results? Fluffy Puffy Coffee Spice Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts.

These cookies were inspired by LLC’s birthday cake, but remember how I couldn’t find cardamom? Well, I was perusing the aisles of Whole Foods the other day, when aha! There it was. So I had to try it. Cardamom is one of the spices that’s in chai, and can be overpowering if you use too much. But it smells FABULOUS, and adds that little extra something to these cookies.

They’re fluffy and puffy thanks to baking powder (usually cookies have baking soda). They’re also not too sweet or buttery, so they feel almost like a cross between a cookie, a muffin, and a scone. Breakfast cookie? Yum!

So here it is, an EatRunRead exclusive from me to you:

Fluffy Puffy Coffee Spice Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts

1 Stick butter (1/2 cup) softened

½ Cup unsweetened plain applesauce

½ Cup white sugar

1 Cup brown sugar

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Eggs

2 Tablespoons ground coffee

½ Teaspoon allspice

½ Teaspoon cardamom

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon baking powder

½ Teaspoon salt

3 Cups flour

¾ Cup chopped dark chocolate (I chopped up some Dove chocolates)

½ Cup chopped walnuts

 

1. Beat softened butter, sugars, and applesauce with a mixer (or super-fast by hand) for 1 minute.

2. Add vanilla and eggs and beat again.

3. Add all dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. If the dough is too dry, add a splash of water.

4. Drop in tablespoon-sized dollops onto a non-stick baking sheet.

5. Bake at 350* for 11 minutes.

6. Cool completely before storing.