I am not a ‘Mommy Blogger’ but I am a mom who blogs. For the most part I don’t fold my family activities in with my food and drink exploits in print, though this past Mother’s Day offered a recipe too good not to share.
I like a simple Mother’s Day. No ‘stuff’. I believe the most valuable gift one can share is their time so some good food and simple moments are all I need. A day without laundry responsibilities works for me too. After being asked to relocate to a different area in the house I eventually began to smell the distinct wafts of chocolate from the kitchen. I came down to find the most gorgeous Chocolate Truffle Cookies (gluten free) baked at the hands of my third grade son (with some supervision from my husband). He was beaming with accomplishment and rightly so after trying them. These are not the misshapen, questionably flavored cookies of a soppy Hallmark commercial; those cookies only a mother could love. These cookies are rich, perfectly flavored and elegant in appearance. And nothing I’d seen in our house before.
The cookies were made from scratch leaving me all the more intrigued. When I asked about the recipe source my son told me he had Googled ‘gluten free recipes for Mother’s Day kids can make themselves’ and this is where he landed. The cookies are a perfect cross between a chocolate cookie and a brownie. They bear a glossy patina and a perfect moist, textured bite with chunks of chocolate and walnuts.
The original recipe is gluten free though if you desire to make them with gluten, substitute your favorite all purpose flour and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written. For those gluten free, the recipe calls out a specific gluten-free flour brand. My chef did NOT use the specified flour, or any added gums (xanthan or guar) and the cookies were beautiful. Use your favorite all purpose gluten free flour blend.
Since no adaptations were made to the original recipe I’m including a link and not reprinting it: Chocolate Truffle Cookie recipe (click here).
Being an equal opportunity parent I will share a visual from my elder child’s efforts. Another thoughtful culinary endeavor I excitedly mistook for something different; ‘Are these Jell-O shots?!’ Complete ‘Inappropriate Mommy’ moment. My nubile teen sweetly told me they were made from her American Girl ‘Tiny Treats’ cookbook and were mock watermelon slices, doll size. Hollowed out lime (I’d seen the pulp earlier and was sure that meant there was a Margarita nearby), filled with Black Cherry Jell-O penetrated by a skewer and inserted mini chocolate chips for seeds. You can probably wager a guess at how they tasted, but who doesn’t love some culinary exploration in Lilliputian proportion?
Baker Street says
These look heavenly! LOVE the idea.
adventuresomekitchen says
Love the line about the racecars! What great kids you have! Just think- your passion for food is helping a new generation become savvy in the kitchen. I love it when my kids take over in the kitchen!
Lizzy says
What a fabulous Mother's Day acrostic!! And such sweet, sweet cookies! And laughing at the thought of your daughter making jello shots….so glad they were a G version 🙂
Sandra says
How adorable!
Jane says
That is so sweet! The cookies look so yummy, and I love the card!
Grace Boyle says
AH! I love what he Googled 🙂 How incredibly sweet and I love how you tied the blog post together with your wonderful, sweet children.
CJ - Food Stories says
Thx for connecting with me on foodbuzz. I have subscribed to your feed and can't wait to see what your next post will be!
Lea Ann says
What a wonderful post Toni! Love the Boulder Locavore card. Beautiful cookies! I really really like that glass with the bird. Where did you get that? It almost looks like an Anthropology piece.
Veronica Gantley says
What a wonderful desert. Thanks for sharing with us.
Boulder Locavore says
Thank you Veronica for reading and taking the time to comment!
Rachel says
This is the sweetest thing. Your kids make me really, really want some of my own so they can bake me wonderful cookies and write brilliant poetry some day!
Boulder Locavore says
Oh Rachel, that is so nice. I will say I have been blessed in the Mommy department. I have some really lovely people who are my children.
Jeff Rasmuss says
Those look delicious! Definitely goes along well with a tall glass of milk! Yum!
Boulder Locavore says
Thank Jeff! Looking forward to following your blog.
AnnaG says
Wonderful post! When you get margaritas and jello shots from your kids, you'll know that you've arrived. Seriously though … what a sweet way to celebrate Mother's Day–sharing homemade treats with the little ones that mean the most to you. 🙂
Boulder Locavore says
That I've 'arrived' or that someone may call Social Services about my parenting skills! It was a lovely, simple day and I loved what they did more than any material gifts I could think of! Thank you Anna.
Pencil Kitchen says
Do you know why i get afraid of baking cookies like these? I end up gaining 2 pounds!
Boulder Locavore says
Ah, totally agree. Very hard to avoid them!
lindsay | rosemarried says
“Voldemort even likes it” is definitely the best thing I've read all week. Oh, and I could hardly concentrate on your writing because your cookies, glassware, and decorative straws are all too lovely!
Boulder Locavore says
Too much, right (Voldemort)?! I also loved 'Even someone in Asia reads it'. When I told him I put it in the post he was concerned I may be losing some readers if they too were bloggers for the boastful things he said about my blog (what 9 year old thinks like this? Maybe I need to hire him as my business manager). Thanks for your kind comments on the 'decor' in the post too.
raquel@eRecipe.com says
Very sweet family. I am touched of the way they greeted you on such a very special occasion. The cookies looks so delicious with tender loving care message. =)
Boulder Locavore says
I agree Raquel. It was very sweet and surprising. They are both kids who are very creative and love celebrating family members with thoughtful ventures like this. I was surprised because I did not expect anything and then at their creativity. I'm a very lucky Mom!
thesmartcookiecook.com says
Wow, I am so impressed with your son's baking skills! These cookies look divine! There is nothing I love more than a brownie-cookie; it's the best of both worlds!
Boulder Locavore says
I must agree on the baking skills and add 'who knew?!' He'd begun to show interest in cooking and making pancakes himself etc. I really was shocked to see these cookies and how beautiful they were; very adult looking cookies. The cookie is a perfect blend as you said. I'm thrilled he found the recipe actually as I'm sure it will now be part of my regular rotation.
TammyJo Eckhart says
These look great and simple to make. Thanks for sharing.
Boulder Locavore says
These really are fantastic TammyJo which is what motivated me to post about them. My son is just beginning to cook so I feel confident if a 9 year old can make them and have them turn out this lovely, all adults will find them a cinch!
Baker Becky says
That is so sweet! I love the cookies and the card is fantastic….so very creative!!! 🙂
Boulder Locavore says
Thanks Becky. I agree on all counts. I'm not easy to surprise either and both were a bit surprise!
The Mom Chef says
I am so, SO glad you opened the door a little into your life and showed us what your kids did for you for Mother's Day. The cookies are amazing. I know I couldn't do better. I had an ear-to-ear smile over the faux watermelon slices. How many did you eat?
Race cars??? Do tell.
Boulder Locavore says
Always happy to swing the door wide open (be careful for what you ask!). The cookies were impressive. They look beautiful, the flavor was pretty sophisticated. I'm sure he made them all himself too. You can't imagine my surprise; and delighted they were from scratch.
I ate 1 watermelon slice. Still in the fridge. Following the directions they used black cherry jello. Even my daughter, the tiny treat chef, felt they were too sweet. I would have eaten the entire plate to show my heartfelt appreciation. They were cute. (And secretly I did hope they were Jell-O shots; but whose Mother jumps to that conclusion?! Clearly needing a cocktail).
I too asked about the Racecars. The reference is to the Amarillo post on my blog and Cadillac Ranch; where 10 Cadillacs were buried halfway into the farmland and spraypainted. My son did not realize they were not racecars actually (and I think maybe he was having trouble thining of an 'R').
The Cooking Actress says
Aw!! That is so sweet!
Boulder Locavore says
Thank you….and yummy too!
Kelly | Eat Yourself Skinny says
Ooo these look amazing!! If only I was in your kitchen right now! 🙂
Boulder Locavore says
I wish you were Kelly! Not many cookies left but I have a plate of faux watermelon slices buring a whole in my fridge!
Denise says
This is so precious!! I'm so glad you shared. Loved the handwritten card with your blog name list out.
Boulder Locavore says
Thank you Denise. I agree and think it's so funny 'my name' was my blog rather than my name! The cookies really are impressive. Hope you'll make some!
ping says
Oh, and I love the part about Voldermot!
Boulder Locavore says
So random! And funny. And scary.
ping says
Oh LOL!!!! Yes, I guess I am the last “E” and I'm sure there are tons of other “E”s too! Gosh, this is so sweet … having those deliciousness all made for you. (What happened to the margarita?)
Happy Belated Mother's Day, Toni!
Going to check out the recipe ….
Boulder Locavore says
Well, you can see a theme of my jumping from lime pulp to a Margarita and assuming my child would make me Jell-O shots for Mother's Day without thinking (I've never had a Jell-O shots and my children don't 'play' with alcohol for the record). We are at the end of the school year, 5000 deliverables a day; guess I'm craving 'cocktail hour'! I agree on it being very sweet. Both totally self motivated too. Glad you're my 'E' Ping!