Chewy Flourless Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are to die for. Guess what? They're gluten free, too! My great aunt found this recipe in a magazine and clipped it for me. The first time I made them I was scared they weren't going to turn out well. The consistency looked all wrong and I thought, great, I've made chocolate glue. Not true! They are some of the best cookies I've ever eaten. Here is the recipe:

Chewy Flourless Chocolate Cookies

1 ¾         cups powdered sugar

½             cup Dutch process cocoa

2              teaspoons cornstarch

¼             teaspoon salt

2              egg whites

1              cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

1.       Preheat oven to 300 F

2.       Mix together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt (if you want a smoother looking cookie you can sift the mixture). Gradually add egg whites, stirring with a spoon until mixture forms a dough. (Mixture should be thick enough to form into balls; if not add more powdered sugar and cocoa.) Add nuts; mix well.

3.       Form dough into 15 balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 16 to 19 minutes, until glossy and crackled. Cool completely. Makes 15 cookies (duh! Did they think they would multiply in the oven?).

This is one recipe where you REALLY need to follow the directions. If you don't, you are going to wind up with a pure mess.

Today was the first time I have sifted the flour when making the cookies. I don't usually do that, but the sugar had too many pieces stuck together to just mix in.

When you mix in the eggs it is going to look like you don't have enough liquid in the mixture. It takes a while to mix, but DO NOT add any water unless you really think you need to. I've had to do that a couple of times when I didn't measure correctly. LOL. Anyway, the mixture is going to look like glue. It is even kind of hard to stir. Then add in the toasted nuts.

To make sure I end up with exactly 15 cookies I scoop out the dough with a tablespoon. It doesn't have to be perfectly measured, I just don't like to eyeball measurements when baking. Cooking is another matter.

Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and put out the cookies. Make sure ahead of time that you put them where you want them... they don't really slide like other cookies do, as you can notice in the picture below.

You end up with shiny, crackled cookies. Don't be alarmed if the inside of your cookie looks raw... it isn't (especially if they cooked for 19 minutes). Even when they cool they are still going to seem a little moist, hence the chewy part in the name. They aren't really chewy though, more soft.

If you have a large family or plan on sharing (hard to do with how good they are), make a double batch. They go very quickly! Enjoy!!! :-D