flourless brownie cookies
If everyone would stop posting photos of delicious looking brownies on the internet, I would really appreciate it. I’m half joking, but honestly... my chocolate cravings are on full blast thanks to all of these foodies out here! I have yet to perfect a brownie recipe that I can call my own, but these will just have to do in the meantime. I love the crispness of the cookie shell with the fudgy interior. This is thanks to the use of egg whites in the recipe, making them reminiscent of meringues. A marriage of brownie and meringue? Sign me up.
Notes: I originally made the recipe with mini chocolate chips stirred in. I found it to be a bit too sweet for my taste, but I don’t really like overly sweet things. I think the addition of the nuts instead really round out the balance of flavors. Try a combo of both too!
I would definitely recommend adding in the coffee or bourbon to these cookies, otherwise the batter is just incredibly thick. Orange juice could be cool if you had that lying around. If all else fails, add 1 Tb water.
If you’re unsure about the sea salt, just do it. This is a sweet cookie that really benefits from a sprinkle of salt. Balance, people!
If you like a bigger cookie with an even fudgier interior, feel free to make these larger than I’ve indicated. I find them to be pretty rich, so I prefer them to be bite sized. Aka I can eat more of them.
flourless brownie cookies
yield: 20 small cookies
2 cups (200 g) powdered sugar
½ cup (45 g) cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dark but natural is ok too)
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
2 (70 g) egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tb. brewed coffee (or bourbon if you’re feeling crazy)
½ cup (65 g) chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips or a combo of both
flaky sea salt
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Mix on low to combine. Add in the egg whites, vanilla and coffee. Mix to make a very thick batter. Remove the bowl and fold in the chocolate chips. With a 2 tsp. scoop (#60 or #70), portion out balls of dough onto the baking sheet, spaced apart to account for spreading. Sprinkle tops with flaky salt. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. Cookies will be crackly looking but still very soft. Remove from the oven, cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
