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Chocolate Souffle Cookies

Everytime I have ever attempted to make a soufflé it falls the minute I open the oven.  It always looks so beautiful in there, all puffed up in its glory.  

But then reality sets in once the pesky door is opened.  Maybe someday I’ll figure out the secret to a puffed up soufflé but until then these Chocolate Soufflé Cookies will tide me over.

Since there is no flour in these cookies the chocolate is showcased  in a big way.  You really taste the richness and intensity of the chocolate.  Slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside; the perfect decadent holiday cookie. 

If you’ve ever had chocolate soufflé, you know the richness I am trying to describe.  This is not your regular chocolate cookie.  You’ll see.


Here’s what you will need:  Bittersweet chocolate (good quality), granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cream of tartar and walnuts.  Ingredients not shown: Egg whites.

Melt 6 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate (70{5396afcf7ebcb011d88226d96591fa60d0bb5a6cac0179c8121d60c005c366a8} cacao).  I melted mine in a stainless steel bowl over boiling water.  Easy and fast.  Set aside.


Can you see the whisk going around in here?  That’s how fast I am mixing these egg whites.  So, with a stand or hand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat 2 large egg whites with 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar until soft peaks form. 


With the beaters running, gradually add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until the egg whites hold stiff peaks but aren’t dry.

Pour 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts and melted chocolate over the whipped whites, gently folding them into the mixture with a rubber spatula.  Try not to deflate the whites and mix until the color is just uniform.


Immediately drop teaspoons of the batter onto two baking sheets covered in parchment paper.  Space the drops 1-inch apart.  Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.


Bake until the cookies are shiny and cracked.  They will be firm on the outside but gooey on the inside when pressed.  Transfer to racks to cool completely.


A handful of these cookies placed in a decorative dish and tied with a ribbon is a nice reminder to someone that you are thinking of them during the holidays.  You can get small dishes like these at Cost Plus very inexpensively.  Add an ornament and with hardly any effort, you are done.  Remember, presentation is everything.

Don’t forget your Jewish friends during the holiday season, they like cookies too.  No matter how cute you think your Santa wrapping is….last time I checked, Jewish people do not celebrate Christmas.  This time of year, they celebrate Hanukkah and the traditional colors of blue, white, silver and gold are appropriate.  Your small gesture of changing your packaging will show your sensitivity to their faith and culture. 

For me personally, if I do not know someones faith, I always wish them “Happy Holidays”.  I feel anything else would be presumptuous on my part.  Anyway that’s my rant and I’m sticking to it.  The Dreidel made me do it!  Forgive me.


Here’s a shot of the yummy inside…yum…yum…yum!

Chocolate Soufflé Cookies
Adapted from Fine Cooking

6 ounces good quality, bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Melt chocolate.  I melted mine in a stainless steel bowl over boiling water.  Easy and fast.  Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. 

With the beaters running, gradually add vanilla extract and granulated sugar until the egg whites hold stiff peaks but aren’t dry.

Pour walnuts and melted chocolate over the whipped whites, gently folding them into the mixture with a rubber spatula.  Try not to deflate the whites and mix until the color is just uniform.

Immediately drop teaspoons of the batter onto two baking sheets covered in parchment paper.  Space the drops 1-inch apart.  Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Bake until the cookies are shiny and cracked.  They will be firm on the outside but gooey on the inside when pressed.  Transfer to racks to cool completely.

Comments

  2. Great spirit in them cookies Cathy. I love the luxuriant look. Am totally in sync with you on culture & sensibilities. We need more people thinking like this, & the world is going to be a peaceful, beautiful place. Hugs to you…& the way you think!

    Reply

  3. Cathy, these look like great cookies. I see the problem in the deflating though – reverse the order of the chocolate & egg whites. By pouring the chocolate & nuts over the whites you’re essentially deflating them before they have a chance to work in the mixture.

    Try folding the egg whites into the chocolate/nut mixture in 1/3rds. This will take a bit longer but should make all of the difference. Egg whites, while sturdy, need a bit of care to make sure they stay sturdy. I would also add some cream of tartar to the egg whites to give them a bit of staying power, it won’t change the flavor of the cookies at all.

    Teri

    Reply

  5. Laura is really funny!!!
    Those cookies, not so funny will be the weight I gain eating them. My goodness do they look good. I’m putting them on my list of to makes!
    Thanks for all of the great recipes and tips this holiday season!

    Reply

  13. These look like a great addition to the cookie list.
    You could be daring & use peppermint extract instead of vanilla extract. (sorry, we just finished a batch of mint brownies that were way too good & I have mint on the brain)

    Reply

  19. There are more amazing cookie recipes out now than I know what to do with. These look awesome…I’ve been trying to think of something to bake when I visit my folks this holiday that everyone would love, and this looks like it’ll be the winner. Or I’ll eat them all first. Either way, I’m happy, lol!

    Reply

  22. I’m so happy to see a gluten free sweet treat on your site! I love to read your blog daily and make the recipes that I can, but I often can only drool at your cookies, brownies, and pies. Thanks!

    Reply

  26. I told you I lied about getting sick, too exhausted to even spend but a few minutes at the computer. Glad I stopped by today. I love chocolate, obviously by the title of my blog. I just disagree about how to decorate these to give them away. Why would you give them away?

    Reply

  27. Kathy those look great and I hear you on the soufflé. I once had a French friend cook a soufflé for us and it turned out beautifully. I don’t know what happens to mine after I open the oven.

    I agree on wishing a Happy Holiday to any and everyone. And if someone wishes me Happy Hanukkah then I say it back. Who cares that I am not Jewish. It is in honor of their faith. What ever happened to tolerance?

    Reply

  30. Gorgeous cookies! The secret to a souffle is not to call it a souffle. I find that if I call it a sformato expectations are lower and strangely it rises higher. And if it doesn’t rise at all you call it a souffle omelette.

    Reply

  35. These cookies look great, you certainly make a beautiful packaging/presentation too! (btw, have you seen the brownie cookies from Gramercy Tavern??). And I REALLY appreciate the reminder that not everyone celebrates Christmas.

    Reply

  36. I’ve been having a serious craving for chocolate for quite a while; these should fix the craving…thanks!
    Yeah…it is a “sexy little golf cart” and you should SEE the farrier! ‘smile’

    Reply

  43. These are going straight onto the to try list–I love decadent chocolate cookies and I love that souffle texture. YUM.

    I must admit I don’t think saying Merry Christmas is very offensive–but then again I would not be in the least offended if a Jewish person said Happy Hanukkah to me either. I’m all about celebrating everything this time of year. 🙂

    Reply

  50. That’s pretty much why I’ve never tried making a souffle before. The cookies look brilliant! I like the packaging. I think I need to start a container for random bits that I can use for packaging food gifts.

    Reply

  53. I am always looking for both cookie recipes and chocolate recipes and these look fabulous! They are now on my to-bake list. And I will be sending the recipe to a friend allergic to flour. Great Hanukkah treats but without the cream of tartar I’ll be making them for Passover too!

    Reply

  54. I made these this evening, they were soo easy (despite the anxiety about possibly overbeating the egg whites) and utterly divine. They were a gift for a gluten intolerant friend, and my taste testers threatened to steal them away from me, immediately asking for the recipe. Delicious! Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply

  55. Hi,

    I just made the chocolate souffle cookies! Yummy! I did half bittersweet chocolate and half semi-sweet chocolate. It was still a little bitter for me, but so yummy and light! Thanks!

    Reply

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