Ingredients
Units
- 2 ¾ cups (294 g) confectioners’ sugar
- generous ½ cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch or 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend
- pinch of salt
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (8 oz/228 g) finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Line two 12-by-17-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, cornstarch (or flour or gluten-free mix) and salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined. Add the egg whites and beat to incorporate the whites, then increase the speed to high and beat for 1 minute, or until very well combined. Stir in the vanilla and pecans.
- Scoop or drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake, one pan at a time, until the cookies are shiny and firm on the outside, but inside they are still a little soft, 12-15 minutes. (Gauge the baking time by the size of the cookie. Smaller cookies bake in about 12 minutes and larger ones need more baking time.) Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies rest for 2 minutes on the pan.
- With a metal spatula, remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the pans between batches.
- If desired, place the cooled cookies in a zipper-top bag in the freezer for 1 hour, which makes them even more fudgy.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour freeze time
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American