Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies

This rich, chewy chocolate cookie is the brainchild of French pastry chef Francois Payard, who based his creation on the French macaron. Combining little more than egg whites cocoa and sugar, this confection is crisp on the outside and fudgy-chewy in the middle. It delivers all the flavor of a brownie, but with a lighter and more delicate feel. And because the recipe includes no wheat flour, dairy or egg yolks, these cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free and Passover-friendly. Don't worry, though, you won't feel like you're missing anything at all if you make these delicious treats.

NOTE: We adapted the original recipe, which we found in Food 52's book, Genius Desserts, to use pecans instead of walnuts. You can certainly substitute walnuts if that's what you prefer or have on hand.  This recipe makes about 16, 3-inch cookies. 

Ingredients and equipment

• 2-1/4 cups (275g) pecan halves
• 3 cups (350g) confectioners' sugar, sifted for lumps
• 1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons (70g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature (we used cartoned egg whites)
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Flaky sea salt for tops (optional)
• cookie scoop (ours was a 1.5T scoop)

directions

1. Heat oven to 350F (175C), with racks in the upper and lower thirds if you are baking two trays at once.
2. Spread pecans on a large, rimmed baking sheet at toast them in the oven until they are golden and smell toasty, about 9 minutes.
3. Let the pecans cool enough to be handled, then transfer them to a cutting board and chop coarsely.
4. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
5. Combine the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, salt and pecans in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with SideSwipe or the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until well combined.
   
6. With the mixer running, slowly add the egg whites and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until the mixture has slightly thickened, about 2 minutes with SideSwipe, 3 minutes  with a standard beater.
7. Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop the batter onto the baking sheets, 6 per sheet. Allow about 3 inches between cookies. 
8. Put the baking sheets in the oven then immediately LOWER OVEN TEMPERATURE to 325F (165C). Bake until the tops are glossy, slightly cracked and no longer look wet in the center. For even baking, rotate the trays top to bottom and front to back for halfway through baking. 
9. Slide the parchment (with cookies on them) onto cooling racks to cool completely. They will release from the parchment best after they have cooled. If stuck, wet your finger and rub it under the parchment under the cookie. The cookies should come right off.
10. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.