Everyday Food (September 2009)
We tried to behave ourselves all summer -- we limited carbs, cut back on sweets and just said no to cookies.
But it's fall, and we're riding the cookie train from here to Christmas.
If you're looking for a sweet hit to get back on the junk, look no further than these Flourless Double-Chocolate Cookies. Dark, rich and oh-so-chocolatey, they're perfect for kicking off your downward cookie spiral for fall.
(Plus, they're gluten-free, so you can pretend they're not as bad for you!)
In all seriousness, the fact that these are gluten-free gives these cookies two great advantages. First, they're a cinch to make -- they only have five ingredients, plus pecans (we made half our cookies with nuts, as suggested by Everyday Food, and half without).
Second, leaving out the flour really gives these cookies an amazing texture. Crisp on the outside and airy in the middle, the cookies reminded us more of macaroons, or even of the dessert we used to call divinity.
And the taste is deeply satisfying. Using just a few ingredients really lets the chocolate flavor dominate.
We loved the batch with pecans and we loved the batch without. We just couldn't decide which we preferred.
But really, who needs to decide when cookies are this delicious?
Flourless Double-Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Everyday Food (September 2009)
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Makes 12
Ingredients
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (or other type of nut)
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa, and salt. Stir in chocolate and pecans. Add egg whites and stir just until incorporated (do not overmix).
2. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 3 inches apart, onto two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake until cookie tops are dry and crackled, about 25 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool completely. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 3 days.)
