Recipe: Chocolate Cookies, Tree Nut-Free, Gluten-Free

For Rosh Hashanah this year, I tried a new recipe.  I always like to try one or two. This year it was these deceptively easy looking tree nut-free and gluten-free chocolate cookies. And easy they are, like a fallen meringue cookie without all the hard work of a traditional meringue. Delicate and chewy in texture, the taste is all pure chocolate. That also might be because I used what I had on hand, Enjoy Life Mega Chunks which made these beauties basically vehicle for getting those chunks into your face. 

Notes: My first batch tasted too heavily of vanilla (and alcohol) so I halved the teaspoon that is called for and changed the vanilla type. As I was using the Enjoy Life Mega Chunks, I only put in one and a half cups; they are just so big and chunky you don’t need two and a half cups as the original recipe on Food52.com calls for. I tried a batch with cinnamon; I liked the depth they created, but didn't love the heat that lingered. I tried a batch without and then realized that it does need something, otherwise it's just straight chocolate flavor. I might try cayenne next time, or adding half chocolate half dried fruit. But that’s the extent of my substitutions. You can see brand names I used below; use whatever works best for your food allergic needs.

Here is the result right out of the oven to cool - don't touch! 


Food52.com Divine Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies


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Fallen Meringue Chocolate Cookies: Tree Nut-Free, Gluten-Free
(Recipe originally posted on Food52.com by Jestei further adapted by me)

2.5 cups Domino’s powdered sugar 
½ cup Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon 
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 egg whites (Organic Valley)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (Nielsen Massey is nut-free and gluten-free)
1.5 cups Enjoy Life Mega Chunks 

Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl of standing mixer or large bowl with hand held mixer, mix powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt on low. Stir in the egg whites with a stand or hand mixer until the batter is well mixed. The batter will look shiny and silky. Stir in the vanilla extract and chocolate chips by hand. 

Using a teaspoon, blob batter onto the baking trays, about an inch apart. They will spread a bit.

Bake until the cookies are cracking on the surface, about 15 minutes.

Let cool for ten minutes on the trays then carefully remove to cooling rack. This is a crucial step, you cannot move them if you don’t let them cool first, they will just break apart and you will have to eat the broken cookies.

Yield: 24 - 36 cookies depending on the size spoon you use scoop raw batter.




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