Brunsli (Swiss chocolate spice cookies)
A delicious chocolate orange brownie cookie derived from traditional Swiss brunsli cookies. Gluten-free and dairy-free, this cookie is similar to a macaron but easier to make. You can skip the 60 minute rest after cutting out the cookies if you're pressed for time.
Servings: 18 cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups (270g) almond meal
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon to sprinkle on top
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (40 g) confectioners’ sugar sifted
- ½ cup (40g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 1 orange finely zest to get 1 tsp
- ½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add all the dry ingredients (everything through salt). Turn the mixer on low and use the dough hook to mix together. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the egg whites and vanilla, then continue mixing on low speed until the dough is fully moistened and everything is cohesive, about 2-5 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a flat disc of about 1¼ inches in thickness, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it rest a minimum of 60 minutes in the refrigerator.*
- After the dough chills, cut two pieces of parchment paper into 16-inch squares. Unwrap the chilled dough, place it in the middle of one of the parchment paper squares, top with the other piece, and roll the dough out into a rough circle that is ½-inch thick (the diameter should be about 9 inches).
- Using a medium (2-2 ¾ inches) cookie cutter (star shape, flower shape, or your favorite shape - squares also work for these), cut out cookies and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press any scraps of dough together, roll the scraps out again to ½-inch thickness, cut out your cookie shapes, and repeat as necessary until all the dough has been used.
- Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little granulated sugar. If you have the patience, leave the unbaked cookies on the baking tray for 60 minutes.
- When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 375 F and let your oven temperature stabilize for about 10 minutes after "reaching" 375 F.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until matte on the sides and slightly crisp on the bottom but still glossy in the middle. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool slightly before serving.
Notes
*You can also store it in the freezer, protected by a freezer-proof Ziploc, for up to one month.