Cooking for Two (34 page)

7.
Return these cookies to the cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. The cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

C
HEWY
C
HOCOLATE
A
LMOND
W
AFERS
makes
8 cookies

T
hanks to the melted chocolate, these wafers have the fudgy consistency of fallen chocolate meringues. For best results, use a good-quality chocolate, not one larded with hydrogenated fat. Remove the cookies from the oven when they’re still soft, then cool them completely before you enjoy them.

1.
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a large cookie sheet; set aside. On a second baking sheet, toast the almonds in the oven for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove the almonds from the baking sheet and roughly chop them in a mini food processor, in a mortar and pestle, or on a cutting board with the knife. Set them aside.

2.
Beat the brown sugar and pasteurized egg substitute or the quail eggs in a small bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until the mixture is pale brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate, beating all the while and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla until smooth.

3.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt, just until moistened. Do not use an electric mixer or the batter will be overmixed. Stir in the chopped toasted almonds, just until incorporated.

4.
Drop the batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, until soft but nonetheless set. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

W
ALNUT
C
HOCOLATE
C
HIP
M
ERINGUE
C
OOKIES
makes
8 cookies

T
hese flourless cookies are actually made from marshmallowy seven-minute frosting that hasn’t been beaten long enough to set up. Since they’re baked for a long time at a low temperature, and even dried out in the oven once it’s turned off, these are chewier than standard meringue cookies, although they still have that hard outer shell, which makes them perfect for dunking. Grind the walnuts in a mini food processor or in a mortar with a pestle.

1.
Position the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 250°F. Use a nonstick cookie sheet, or a regular one lined with either parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.

2.
Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler or in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the egg white, sugar, vanilla, cream of tartar, vinegar, and salt until smooth in the top of a double boiler or in a medium bowl that will fit snugly over the top of the saucepan.

3.
Place the top of the double boiler or the bowl with this mixture over the simmering water; continue beating for 2 minutes, until thick, smooth, and quite shiny. Remove the top of the double boiler or the
bowl from the simmering water. (Be careful of any escaping steam.) Stir in the nuts, then let the mixture cool in the bowl for 5 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4.
Drop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet. The cookies should look like large chocolate “kisses”—you can use the back of a metal spoon to mound them up a bit toward a center peak, but do not press down or the meringue will lose its airiness.

5.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until quite firm. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open, and allow the cookies to sit in the oven for 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

V
ANILLA
O
RANGE
I
CEBOX
C
OOKIES
makes
8 cookies