Ok, I am not a dark chocolate lover. And I know, that definitely defines me as a non-gourmet, but I can’t help it. I know what I like, and dark chocolate ain’t something I enjoy. Until this cookie came along, that is. I don’t think I have ever bit into anything starring chocolate (be it milk, white, or dark) that I like any better than one of these cookies. OMG. They are beyond delicious. And as it turns out, very easy to prepare. Don’t even need a mixer. And for all of you out there who find wheat flour intolerable, this recipe is going to set you free. You will be in your kitchen making these delightful treats at every opportunity.
We first had a taste of one of these little darlings on our recent trailer trip. Mr. Cs sister Katie brought them along to share with us while both couples were camped at Wanapum State Park. Andy and I fell madly in love after just one bite. So of course, I just had to have the recipe. Not only so that I could bake these for our own enjoyment, but I could also share this wonderful recipe from Alison Roman published on the cooking.nytimes.com site with all of you. I truly like nothing better than either discovering or being given a recipe like this, and then being able to pass it along to each of you. And this recipe, ladies and gentlemen, is truly a gem. (Thank you again Katie.)
So don’t hesitate. Bake up a batch of these wonderful cookies at your earliest convenience.
As always, have fun in your kitchen and live each day to the fullest. Peace and love to all.
6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter
2½ c. powdered sugar
¾ c. unsweetened cocoa (I use either Valrhona Cocoa Powder or Ghirardelli Premium Cocoa Powder)
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 lg. egg whites
1 lg. egg
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (at least 67% cacao), chopped (I use 1⅓ cups roughly chopped Guittard 63% cacao extra dark chocolate baking chips)
½ c. finely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts)
flaky salt, such as Maldon or Pacific Blue Kosher Flake Sea Salt
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Melt the butter in a small pan, whisking frequently until foam appears and the butter starts to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Using a fine mesh strainer or sifter, combine the powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Using a spatula, mix in the egg whites, whole egg, and cooled browned butter until the mixture is smooth. Add the chopped chocolate and nuts.
Using a very small ice cream scoop* (I use my #100 scoop for these cookies), drop balls of dough at least 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are flat and look baked through and a bit wrinkled.
Remove from oven and let sit on the pan for about 4 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
*The scoop on Ice Cream Scoops:
I use ice cream scoops for all kinds of cooking projects. But mainly I use them to make certain all the cookies from a batch are of similar size. Let’s face it, it’s much easier and more efficient to form cookies using a scoop. Takes about a third the time of dropping it by spoonfulls. Anyway, I have 4 scoop sizes that I mainly use. (OK, I only own these 4 sizes of scoops. But none-the-less, they work for me.)
#100 – 2 teaspoons (which means that if you are dishing up ice cream, you would get 100 scoops from 1 quart of ice cream) I use this scoop not only for this recipe, but anytime I want tiny little cookies.
#60 – 1 tablespoon. I use this scoop for small cookies and meatballs
#40 – 1½ tablespoons. I use this scoop for larger cookies
#10 – 3/8 cup. I use this scoop for muffins, cupcakes, and ice cream