Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 350 g kosher for passover powdered sugar
- 85 g dutch-process cocoa powder
- 5 g instant espresso powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients and Mix-ins
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 200 g dark chocolate chips
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 146 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 30 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 25 g
- Sodium
- 78 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 134 mg
- Calcium
- 11 mg
- Iron
- 1.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 38 mg
- Phosphorus
- 51 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 6 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 26 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the extremely sticky dough from fusing to the metal.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and fine sea salt until completely completely uniform and free of any lumps.
Add the room temperature egg whites and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. Mix vigorously with a silicone spatula until a very thick, glossy, brownie-like batter forms. Ensure no dry pockets of sugar or cocoa remain at the bottom of the bowl.
Gently fold the dark chocolate chips into the batter until they are evenly distributed throughout.
Allow the batter to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. This brief resting period allows the dry ingredients to hydrate properly, which thickens the batter and helps prevent the cookies from spreading too thinly in the oven.
Using a cookie scoop, portion the batter into mounds of about 40g each onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave at least 5 centimeters of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through the baking time. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and the tops exhibit a beautiful glossy, cracked finish, even if the centers feel quite soft.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Do not attempt to move the cookies immediately. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack or serving.
Chef's Notes
- Sifting the cocoa powder and powdered sugar is highly recommended if your ingredients have been sitting in the pantry for a while. Cocoa tends to clump, and lumps will stubbornly refuse to mix into the egg whites.
- When selecting powdered sugar for Passover, remember that commercial confectioners sugar almost always contains cornstarch, which is considered kitniyot. Look for Passover-certified brands that use tapioca or potato starch.
- Do not overbake. Flourless cookies rely entirely on the coagulation of the egg whites and the cooling of melted sugars to set. If baked until they feel firm in the oven, they will become unpleasantly hard and brittle once cooled.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container. The fudgy texture becomes pleasantly chewy when chilled.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze fully cooled cookies between layers of parchment paper.
Reheating: Enjoy at room temperature or warm in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 3 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread into a flat, interconnected puddle during baking
Cause: The egg whites were too large adding excessive moisture, or the batter was not allowed to rest
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but the resulting crisp chocolate brittle is excellent crumbled over ice cream
Prevention: Weigh the egg whites precisely to 120g and always allow the batter the full 15 minutes to hydrate before scooping
Cookies stick stubbornly to the parchment paper
Cause: Cookies were moved while still entirely too warm, or wax paper was accidentally used instead of parchment
Fix: Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes to rapidly chill the cookies, making them easier to peel away
Prevention: Ensure you are using true silicone-coated parchment paper and let the cookies cool completely on the pan
Cultural Context
During the eight days of Passover, traditional leavened grains are strictly forbidden. Jewish bakers historically developed brilliant workarounds to create festive desserts without flour, leaning heavily on whipped eggs, ground nuts, and pure chocolate. This modern adaptation celebrates that ingenuity, achieving an extraordinarily fudgy texture that rivals any conventional brownie, making it a beloved staple at the Seder table.
