TWD 2-in-1: Pecan Pie and Café Volcano Cookies

Wow, has it really been more than a month since I last posted? Yikes!

I've been baking, just not posting. So, let's get caught up with my Tuesdays with Dorie baking. Here's what I did in December -- Dorie's Café Volcano Cookies and My Favorite Pecan Pie.

The "Café Volcano Cookies" were chosen for the TWD recipe of December 15, 2009, by MacDuff of Lonely Sidecar. They were a great way to use up some of the egg whites left over from the Sablés of the week before.


These were crunchy little things! I've heard this style of cookie called a "rocher" in French -- which translates as "rock" or "boulder." Well, they weren't that hard, but I can see where the name comes from. And in Italy there's a similar cookie called "Brutti ma Buoni" ("ugly but good") -- also apt.


I added a little cocoa powder, but next time I'd leave that out. I think they'd be better just espresso-flavored. I liked them a lot. Jim didn't like them at all. Oh well.

On to the next recipe -- Dorie's "My Favorite Pecan Pie" was chosen for December 22, 2009, by Beth of Someone's in the Kitchen with Brina. This was a hit with both of us! The addition of espresso powder and chopped chocolate cuts the usual sweetness of pecan pie and makes it really good. I made a half-recipe in a half-size pie pan.


Next time, though, I think I'd cut the espresso and chocolate in half and add a few more pecans. We both thought it would have been better that way, at least for our tastes. But it was still really, really good.


OK, on to catch-up for January! See you soon!