DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.
Made without butter or flour, these dense, chewy cookies will satisfy even the most intense chocolate craving. Makes about 2 dozen
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar, divided
½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme. Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. Stir in lukewarm chocolate and remaining ½ cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).
Place remaining ½ cup powdered sugar in small bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in powdered sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.Technique Tip: The Cracked LookRoll the cookies thickly in powdered sugar before baking. When the cookies begin to expand in the oven, cracks will form, dramatically showing the dark chocolate cookie underneath. This style of cookie is often called an Earthquake Cookie.
Rich chocolate cookies take on Mexican flair when spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Whole blanched almonds, shelled pistachios, and walnut halves can be used to decorate the cookies instead of the candied cherries. This recipe makes a generous amount, but the cookies store well—up to a week in an airtight cookie jar or a month in the freezer. Makes about 5 dozen
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1¾ cups sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup powdered sugar
60 (about) candied cherry halves
Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and cloves in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla and melted chocolate. Gradually add flour mixture and beat just until blended. Chill dough until firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets. Place powdered sugar in shallow bowl. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar to coat; shake off excess sugar. Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1½ inches apart. Press 1 cherry half into center of each cookie. Bake until cookies puff and crack but are still soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Can be made ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.
Classic Mexican wedding cakes are actually cookies—nut-studded, crumbly confections coated in powdered sugar. They get a delicious and colorful twist here with the addition of dried cranberries and chopped pistachios. The dough doesn’t use eggs, baking powder, or baking soda for leavening, so the cookies are similar in texture to shortbread cookies. They also don’t incorporate much sugar, but instead get most of their sweetness after baking: The cookies are rolled in powdered sugar twice—first when they are still warm and again after they are cooled, giving them a nice generous coating of snowy sugar. Makes about 6 ½ dozen
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted natural pistachios (about 4 ounces), chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
3⅓ cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1⅔ cups sifted unbleached all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)Additional powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 3 heavy large rimmed baking sheets. Using electric mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and salt, then pistachios and cranberries. Using spatula, stir in both flours (do not overmix dough).
Shape dough by generous tablespoonfuls into football-shape ovals. Place on prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until bottoms just begin to color, about 16 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 10 minutes before coating.
Pour generous amount of additional powdered sugar into medium bowl. Working with 5 or 6 warm cookies at a time, add cookies to bowl of sugar; gently turn to coat thickly. Transfer cookies to sheet of waxed paper. Let cool. Return cookies to bowl of sugar and gently turn to coat again; cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Cookies can be made 4 days ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.
These spicy cookies get their name from the German word for “peppernuts,” or black pepper. They are popular holiday treats in many European countries. Makes about 2½ dozen
2¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon crushed aniseed
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon (scant) ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
¼ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 large egg
2 cups (about) powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Whisk flour, aniseed, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, allspice, cloves, and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then stir in flour mixture.