Chocolate chewies!

This recipe was published Los Angeles Times in the SOS (reader request) column.

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jun/26/food/fo-sos1-26

I've made them a few times and have my notes added to the basic recipe.

This is another recipe I have stumbled onto not because it was adapted for GF folks, but that it is naturally GF. It's like a fluffy, crispy chewy brownie - yum! All folks can enjoy it.

Torrance Bakery Chocolate Chewies

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

1 cup egg whites (fresh is best, NOT from a carton says me)

1 and 3/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 pound walnut or pecan pieces (I have only used walnuts and they were dandy)

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together the egg whites, cocoa, salt and sugar on medium speed until the batter is stiff and all ingredients are well incorporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the walnuts or pecans by hand.

Place the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet; work in batches. Bake until the cookies are a bit shiny and slightly cracked, 10 minutes. They will look underdone but do not overbake.

48 cookies. Each cookie: 125 calories; 34 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.67 grams fiber.

These are like brownies crossed with meringue - crisp on the outside but nicely dense and chewy on the inside. I had a bit of a time removing mine from the parchment paper, but I could have been using a type with less silicone. You could also try baking them on a silpat.

This recipe halves well.

Once cooled, store in an airtight container..