Chocolate Hazelnut Chewies are similar to meringues, but a lot quicker to make since you don’t have to dry them out for a long period in the oven. And while this version calls for hazelnuts, these chocolaty, nut and egg white cookies can be made with almost any nut.
My earlier version (Pecan Chewies) uses pecans and the ingredients are basically mixed in the bowl then beaten resulting in a somewhat thinner, softer, cookie. In this version, the egg whites are beaten until soft peaks start to form and then dry ingredients are added. The egg whites collapse a bit as you add the dry ingredients, but they puff up again in the oven.
Compared to regular meringue cookies, Chocolate Hazelnut Chewies are not as light and billowy and the centers are definitely chewy, whereas with meringues you can make the centers chewy or dry them out. If this is your first time making this type of cookie, you may want to start with a half batch to nail down the exact baking time for your oven.
Recipe
Chocolate Hazelnut Chewies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar about 6.8 oz
- ⅓ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder Hershey’s
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 large cold egg whites organic eggs seem to hold up better
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ⅓ cups toasted and chopped hazelnuts or 2 ½ small bags of Diamond**
- Optional – very small handful of mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- Stir powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together in a small bowl.
- Place cold egg whites in very clean metal or glass mixing bowl.
- With an electric mixer, beat until the egg whites are just past foamy and soft peaks are just beginning to form. Add the sugar mixture gradually (but not too gradually – a couple of tablespoons at a time is fine) and continue mixing on medium and scraping sides of bowl.
- When dry ingredients are completely blended, beat for exactly two minutes. Mixture will thicken slightly, but it will not be light and fluffy like meringue. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips (if using).
- Working quickly, drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto the baking sheets – try to keep them as tall as you can, but if they spread that is okay, spacing about 2 ½ inches apart.
- Bake the cookies on the center and lower rack for 10-12 minutes or until dry, puffed and cracked on the surface. If you like your cookies with very soft centers, take them out and let them cool. For slightly dryer (but still chewy) centers, turn off the oven and let the cookies sit in the “off” oven for 20 minutes, them remove from oven.
- Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the parchment paper. Carefully remove cookies and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Katrina
Oh, I love pecan chewies. I would totally cheat for one of those. Maybe I'll splurge on some organic powdered sugar, then I don't feel so bad. 😉
Sue
These are going on my list to try as well!
Beth
These look great! Definitely on my "to try" list!
lisa keys
I know my niece who is gluten free and a chocoholic is going to love these