I do love vegetables, and enjoy incorporating them in delicious ways into my family's diet. I may LOVE sweets even more.
Tonight we're having family over for the first night of Hanukkah. It's a simple menu with key traditional basics -- roasted chicken and fried potato pancakes (latkes). I don't know about you, but when I eat fried food, I crave sweets even more. I didn't want to dissappoint tonight so to complement the latkes, we're having fudgy, chocolately, walnuty cookies. Somewhat meringue like, with a slight sticky chocolate (loaded with walnuts) inside -- sheer genius by the originator of the recipe, Francois Payard. I added a sprinkling of fleur de sel (the magic touch to any uber-chocolate dessert), but otherwise, I've left the recipe as perfect as it reads.
2 3/4 cups walnut halves (9 ounces)
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°. Position 2 racks in the 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. Let cool slightly, then transfer the walnut halves to a work surface and finely chop them.
In a large bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in the chopped walnuts. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (be careful not to overbeat or it will stiffen). Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds.
Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are glossy and lightly cracked and feel firm to the touch; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.
Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks to cool completely before serving.
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