Fudgy Chocolate Walnut Cookies

By patticakes

Recipe from Francois Payard's Chocolate Epiphany
These cookies are flourless...

Makes 12 4 inch cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups walnut halves (9 oz)
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 3 TBS unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/4 ts salt
• 4 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1 TBS vanilla extract

Details

Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 45mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350.
Position 2 racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread the walnut halves on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes until they are golden and fragrant. Cool slightly, then transfer to a work surface and chop finely.

Whisk the confectioners sugar with the cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in the chopped walnuts. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat until just moistened (overbeating will cause it to stiffen) Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds.

Bake for 20 minutes until the tops of the cookies are glossy and lightly cracked and feel firm to the touch. shift the pans from top to bottom halfway through.

Slide the parchment onto wire racks to cool completely before serving.