I must thank my friend and colleague David Lebovitz for this confection, though I do take credit for the pistachio nuts, which add their incomparable color and flavor to what was already one of the best-ever
sweets. These are so simple, so luscious, and so professional looking that you’ll be very proud to make and serve them. I sent this recipe to Marion Pruitt, my good friend and colleague and U.S. recipe tester. When she read that the cookies would keep for a week, her response was the following: “You must be kidding! These won’t keep for ‘about one week’! Made them last night with a yield of forty-three, and half
were gone by this morning. There are only two people living here (that I know of).”
Makes about 45 cookies
Ingredients:
4 large (120 g) egg whites
1¼ cups (250 g) vanilla sugar (Chapter Breakfast)
¼ teaspoon ne sea salt
1 tablespoon mild honey, such as wildflower or lavender
2½ cups (215 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup (35 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons pistachios, lightly toasted and minced
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (110 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Note: The recipe calls for unsweetened coconut, which is available at health food and specialty stores. If you can find only salted pistachios, simply drop them into boiling water, remove and drain them, let them dry for an hour or so, and proceed with the recipe. The dough for these cookies will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
1. In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, mix together the egg whites, vanilla sugar, salt, honey, coconut, flour, and pistachios. Stir the mixture frequently until it softens and becomes somewhat
runny, then stir it almost constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan, until it dries out and pieces of it begin to turn golden—15 minutes total. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a piece of parchment paper set on a work surface to cool to room temperature. At this point, you may refrigerate the dough.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Using a generous teaspoon of the dough, form small balls that you flatten on one side and bring to a round point on the other so that each little cookie looks like a wide cone. Place the cookie on a prepared
baking sheet, leaving about ½ inch (1.25 cm) between cookies, until you have used all the dough. Bake until the cookies are deep golden brown, about 16 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling
rack, and let cool completely.
4. While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the cookies are cool, dip the flat bottoms into the chocolate and swirl it slightly so the chocolate climbs up the side of the cookie just a bit, then set the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. When the chocolate has hardened, either serve the cookies or store them in an airtight
container. The cookies will keep for about 1 week.
