Forgotten Chocolate Cookies
These crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside treats are unlikely to be forgotten once you taste them. The name comes from the old method -- popular in Jewish bakeries such as Gottlieb's Bakery in Savannah, Ga. — of making meringue cookies where the cookies first bake, and are then allowed to cool in the turned-off oven.
As written, the recipe is gluten-free, with cornstarch as a binder. You can also more closely follow the Gottlieb's model by substituting 2 tablespoons of flour. To make these cookies kosher for Passover, use potato starch in place of corn.
We do not recommend leaving out the nuts, as they are key to providing bulk to the dough.
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (275 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Generous 1/2 cup (42 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (see headnote)
- Pinch fine salt
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (234 grams) finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Directions
Step 1
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone liners.
Step 2
Place the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Beat on low speed just to combine. Add the egg whites and beat on low speed to incorporate, then increase the speed to high and beat until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla and pecans or walnuts.
Step 3
Scoop or drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the sheet pans (about 15 per pan). Bake one pan at a time, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are shiny and firm on the outside but still a little soft on the inside. (Smaller cookies will bake faster.) Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies rest for 2 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the other sheet pan.
Step 4
Serve warm or at room temperature.
