Switzerland: Basler Brunsli

Here, at last, is another cookie my mother can eat. No wheat, gluten, corn, milk, peanuts, soy, or butter.

This is a surprisingly soft, chewy roll-out cookie from Switzerland. I found the recipe in the darling book Great Cookies by Carole Walter - a delightfully written and beautifully photographed book with a great many cookies I've actually never seen before.

Basler Brunsli
From Great Cookies by Carole Walter
Makes about 30

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
6 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
2 egg whites
3/4 cup superfine sugar
3 Tbsp Kirshwasser (I used water, worked fine)
3/4 pound almond flour - about 3 cups lightly packed
1/4 cup granuatled sugar (for rolling)
2 Tbsp sparkling sugar for sprinkling

Combine the chocolate, cocoa, and spices in a food processor for about a minute, until the chocolate is well-diced-up.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, beating until it forms a stiff meringue. Fold in the Kirschwasser, chocolate mixture, and almond flour. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

When the dough is chilled, roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness on a worksurface that has been sprinkled with about 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar. Cut with cookie cutters and place cookies on prepared pan. Let them air-dry for about an hour before baking.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F, with baking shelves on the upper and lower thirds. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, until the top is just beginning to harden.