Tag: Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Published on by Dawn7 Comments

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Things are not often as they appear.  I love that saying on mirrors on cars, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”  It should just say something like this, “Watch out, nothing is ever as it seems.”  Many people don’t like to admit that though, and are stuck in the past.  That is definitely not me – sometimes I feel like I live a little too much in the future, thinking that things have changed when they haven’t just yet – maybe just hoping.

I have almost surpassed a major milestone – I have lived in Seattle just about longer than I have ever lived anywhere in my life.  That is quite a big deal – particularly because I didn’t grow up here, and I didn’t leave my home town until I went to college – so we were not one of those families that moved around.  In addition to that, when I go back to my home town (which I don’t do very often), nothing is really the same – including where my parents live.  When people tell me that I haven’t changed a bit – they are only looking peripherally.  In my view, there is very little that hasn’t changed.  Or maybe those people never really knew me to begin with.

The thought of making dairy-free and gluten-free baked goods has just no appeal to me whatsoever.  I have really never been impressed with a gluten-free baked good – but then again, I don’t really eat them very often.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and it is a good thing it was not labeled DF and GF.  I swear, had it been, I would have passed right over it.  Instead, the title got my attention, and there it went into the pile.  It didn’t really hit me until after the batter was made what I had done.  I was actually falling for a DF and GF baked good – and wow did I fall hard.  These cookies were outrageous – and so ridiculously easy to make.  I let a few different people sample these, and the reviews were unanimous – in addition to the kids, who absolutely devoured them in their lunches.  So, there you have it – nothing is ever as it seems – particularly when it comes to these Chocolate Brownie Cookies.  Nothing like a good taste of reality.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups gluten-free powdered sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1  teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2  large egg whites
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons cacao nibs

Preparation

Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Whisk powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in egg whites and egg; fold in chocolate and cacao nibs. Spoon batter by the tablespoonful onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2” apart.

Bake, rotating sheets once, until cookies are puffed, cracked, and set just around the edges, 14–16 minutes.

Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool on pan (they’ll firm up).

Do Ahead:  Cookies can be baked 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Chocolate Brownie Cookies – GF and DF

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Published on by Dawn15 Comments

Summer is finally in full swing here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  After last year’s summer (or lack of one), I think everyone was starting to get a little wigged out – those sunny months we all waited for every year were behind us, Seattle was now truly going to be dreary all year round.  Well, we finally broke free of the rain, and it has been incredible all week.  It was the most beautiful weekend I can remember, we still have our windows open as I am writing this now.  Amazing!

The last few weeks of school were such a blur to me, between the teacher gifts, school concerts, and other special events (many of which I had to bake for) – I am finally now getting to post some of these treats I made.  My older daughter’s class was quite something.  There was someone with a severe peanut allergy, someone allergic to dairy, a vegan, and a few that couldn’t eat chocolate.  Baking for her classroom was always quite the challenge – albeit a fun one.  This particular event called for desserts that were either vegan, or seed-free and nut-free.  I decided to go for the seed-free and nut-free option.  I actually had my daughter pick something out – and she found these delicious morsels in the Fine Cooking Chocolate Desserts magazine we had sitting on the cook book shelf.  Half way through the baking process it actually hit me that we were using chocolate – I thought someone had an issue with chocolate?  The directions said nut-free and seed-free, which I was following perfectly with this recipe.  I decided to keep my mouth shut and just go with it.

These cookies were delicious, and they actually stayed good and chewy for days.  They went very quickly that evening, and no one said anything to me about bringing chocolate.  I should have brought a sign that said Seed-Free and Nut-Free Chocolate Non-Vegan Dairy Brownie Cookies.  Next time…if they ever let me bring dessert to a school function again.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more for the pan 12 oz.
  • 3/4 lb. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 oz. (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Preparation

Position an oven rack on the center rung. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment (or grease and flour the pan).

In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Stir to combine; let cool. In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium high to a ribbon consistency, 3 to 4 minutes. Take the bowl off the mixer. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and the vanilla; stir to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir the flour mixture and the nuts into the batter; let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a #4 tip (or into a heavy-duty zip-top bag with one bottom corner snipped to create a 2/3-inch diagonal opening). For each cookie, pipe 1 Tbs. batter onto the lined baking sheet. While you pipe the second tray, bake the first until the cookies are puffed and cracked and the tops barely spring back when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. The cracks should be moist but not wet. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Chocolate Brownie Cookies