Ingredients
- Filling:
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, separated,
- at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups finely chopped pecans
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Preparation
Step 1
1. To make cookies: Heat chocolate in microwave-safe medium bowl on Medium (50% power), stirring at 30-second intervals, until fully melted and smooth. Let stand, stir-ring occasionally, until tepid, but still fluid.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with electric mixer set on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. One at a time, beat in egg yolks, followed by tepid chocolate and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, mix in flour mixture, just until combined. Divide dough in half and shape each half into thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
3. Position oven racks in the third and center of oven and preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
4. Using heaping teaspoon for each, roll dough into 78 marble-sized balls, putting them in baking pan or platter. (If you wish, you can cover tballs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) Beat egg whites in small bowl until foamy. One at a time, dip each ball in whites, roll in pecans, and arrange 11/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate remaining balls until ready to bake. Using your thumb (or, if you have long fingernails, end of wooden spoon), press an indentation into center of each cookie.
5. Bake, rotating positions of sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until edges of cookies look set, about 10 minutes. Remove baking sheets from oven, and, using your thumb (or end of wooden spoon), reform center indentation in each cookie. Return to oven and continue baking until cookies are crisp, about 10 minutes more. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling racks and let cool completely. Repeat with remaining balls, egg whites, and pecans, on cooled baking sheets.
6. To make filling: Heat chocolate and oil together in microwave-safe bowl on Medium (50% power), stirring at 30-second intervals, until fully melted and smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until tepid but still fluid.
7. Using teaspoon, fill indentations with chocolate mixture. Let stand until chocolate sets (you can refrigerate them to speed things up).