Need advice from experienced bakers.

[Daizymae]

Most thumbprint cookie recipes that I'm acquainted with say to roll the balls of dough in finely chopped pecans.

Well, all I have on hand is tons of roasted cashews. Can they be subtituted? I can't afford to buy 2 cups of pecans right now. Would they perhaps burn more easily or what. Thanks!

 

[LPBeier]

Daizymae, if the cashews are roasted already, they should be fine. Are they salted? That will take away from the flavour of the cookie and "filling". Otherwise, I think they should be fine. Just make sure they are finely chopped. Walnuts and almonds work well too as long as they are toasted first.

I have made various thumbprint cookies with no nut coating and they turned out great.

 

[Daizymae]

The cashews aren't salted. Many thanks for your opinion, LP. As you can see, I don't know everything there is to know about baking, substitutions, reasons for certain ingredients, etc.

 

[Dawgluver]

I think the cashews would be delicious in cookies.

 

[LPBeier]

Daizymae, that is why we are all here - to help others and learn from each other. Let us know how the cookies turned out!

 

[Addie]

I toss my nuts into my small food processor. I get a more even crumb. I have been known to add some sugar to my ground nuts when the dough is to be rolled in them.

 

[Daizymae]

Thanx to all of you for your kind comments and advice. I rather like the idea of mixing the crushed nuts with a bit of sugar. I find cashews to be a bit bland compared to pecans and think they will need a bit of help.

 

[Dawgluver]

Daizymae, have you considered making cashew butter? If you have that many cashews, why not throw a bunch in the food processor and make some delicious butter! Just keep pulsing, it will turn nice and smooth, no need for other seasoning.

 

[CarolPa]

I never thought to add sugar to crushed nuts when rolling dough in them. Tasty idea! Thumbprints are on my list for Christmas cookies to be baked.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I would use them.

The thumbprints are also nice rolled in shredded coconut.

If you have a surplus of cashews try your hand at cashew brittle, if you already have the nuts on hand the other ingredients are very inexpensive. Be careful if you try it, get the kids, cats and dogs out of the kitchen. Wear long sleeves, long slacks and shoes! The caramel sauce is very hot and can cause a severe burn. Now that I have scared you give it a try, just be very careful.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cashew-brittle/f57eb7e7-698e-4671-88ab-423d32e02803

 

[Mad Cook]

Most thumbprint cookie recipes that I'm acquainted with say to roll the balls of dough in finely chopped pecans.

Well, all I have on hand is tons of roasted cashews. Can they be subtituted? I can't afford to buy 2 cups of pecans right now. Would they perhaps burn more easily or what. Thanks!

I don't think it will matter as you obviously like cashews or you wouldn't have them in the house. Keep an eye on them in the oven to make sure they don't catch. or just leave them off or include them in the mix instead of rolling them on the outside. Most cookie recipes are very well behaved and put up with variations.

 

[merstar]

The thumbprints are also nice rolled in shredded coconut.

I agree! These are great thumbprints from Ina Garten - I've made them many times:
Jam Thumbprint Cookies Recipe : Ina Garten : Recipes : Food Network

 

[Daizymae]

Daizymae, have you considered making cashew butter? If you have that many cashews, why not throw a bunch in the food processor and make some delicious butter! Just keep pulsing, it will turn nice and smooth, no need for other seasoning.

I'm the only person in the universe who doesn't have a food processor as such, but I do have an electric grinder. I imagine I'd have to somehow add oil while the nuts are grinding; wouldn't you have to do this with a food processor, also? At the factory, I suspect they either add oil, or they have specialized machinery that makes the nuts oily as they are processed. Anybody know?

 

[Dawgluver]

I'm the only person in the universe who doesn't have a food processor as such, but I do have an electric grinder. I imagine I'd have to somehow add oil while the nuts are grinding; wouldn't you have to do this with a food processor, also? At the factory, I suspect they either add oil, or they have specialized machinery that makes the nuts oily as they are processed. Anybody know?

No oil added, the nuts make their own oil as they're ground up.

 

[Daizymae]

Thanx, Aunt Bea, for the recipe on cashew brittle and for the warning, too - I've never made a nut brittle. First time for everything!

Mad Cook, I was happy to see your advice about including the crushed cashews in the mix. I really needed to hear that! I intend to try that as well. It is certainly much easier than all that rolling, isn't it.

 

[taxlady]

I would use them.

The thumbprints are also nice rolled in shredded coconut.

If you have a surplus of cashews try your hand at cashew brittle, if you already have the nuts on hand the other ingredients are very inexpensive. Be careful if you try it, get the kids, cats and dogs out of the kitchen. Wear long sleeves, long slacks and shoes! The caramel sauce is very hot and can cause a severe burn. Now that I have scared you give it a try, just be very careful.

Cashew Brittle recipe from Betty Crocker

Tight long sleeves, not big floppy ones that can catch things, like the hot sauce or the handle of the pot.

 

[Daizymae]

When you really think about it, the kitchen is the most dangerous place in the house.

 

[Addie]

When you really think about it, the kitchen is the most dangerous place in the house.

Oh, I don't know. I am sure there are more accidents that happen in the bedroom

 

[Aunt Bea]

A couple of recent posts reminded me of this cookie recipe. The Archway cookie company only offers them at holiday time and they fly off the shelves. They are basically a Russian teacake or Mexican wedding cookie made with cashews. I toss mine into the powdered sugar when they come out of the oven and then again when they have completely cooled. The first coating forms sort of an icing and the second is a nice snowy coating that gets all over your shirt when you eat them, tis the season!

Archway Holiday Nougat Cookies Recipe

 

[Daizymae]

Aunt Bea, I've made that kind of double-iced nut cookie. They are very good indeed.

Look, since I have got your attention, what do you think of making a thumbprint after a few minutes of baking; then leaving it empty till completely baked; then allowing the cookies to cool and filling with a rich filling of any kind? Chocolate, or a butter-walnut filling, for example. Have you ever heard of such a thumbprint cookie method?