This Chocolate Espresso Snowball cookie recipe has more pecans in it than it does flour- so they are healthy, right?
Hmm. . . maybe not so much! It does only have 1/2 cup of sugar for 3 dozen cookies, but then they get rolled in powdered sugar after they are baked. I think they have the perfect amount of sweetness in them because you can clearly taste the chocolate and the pecans. Sometimes when cookies are too sweet it masks the flavors.
This recipe originally came from Food and Wine Magazine’s December 2011 issue. I traded the all purpose flour for gluten free flour mix and also added 3/4 of a teaspoon of xanthan gum. When I convert a cookie recipe to gluten free, I try to only add xanthan gum if I think the dough will need help in staying together when it is baked.
The only other changes to the original recipe were that I added 1/4 of a teaspoon more salt (I hardly ever add more salt to a recipe!) and I added more instant espresso powder. The espresso flavor is still not dominant at all, it is just in the background.
I do really like these cookies and I am happy to add them to my chocolate cookie collection for the holidays, or anytime.
I shared this recipe with Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Fat Tuesday at Real Food Forager, The Hearth and Soul Hop at 21st Century Housewife, Gluten Free Wednesdays at The Gluten Free Homemaker, Allergy Free Wednesdays at The Tasty Alternative, Real Food Wednesday at Kelly The Kitchen Kop, Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helens Country Cottage, Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet, Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm
Here are some other chocolate cookie recipes that I have posted previously:
Chocolate Chiffon Cookies
Chocolate Mint Cookies
Chocolate Sambuca Cookies
Chocolate Espresso Snowballs- GF Or Not!In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla with a mixer until smooth.
2 sticks softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
In a medium sized bowl, mix dry ingredients and stir together well. Add to butter mixture and stir until just blended.
1 and 3/4 cups Gluten Free Flour Mix*
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Droste)
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon salt
Add chopped pecans and stir by hand to mix.
2 cups finely chopped pecans (1- 8 ounce package) (I used Trader Joe’s unsalted dry toasted pecans)
Cover the dough and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
Place several tablespoons of confectioners (powdered) sugar in a small bowl.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and place about 2 inches apart on the covered cookie sheets.
Bake for 18-19 minutes, depending on your oven. Switch cookie sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cookies should be slightly firm to the touch.
Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
When cool, roll cookies in confectioners sugar to coat.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.
*GF Flour Mixture
The GF flour mixture that I use is pretty standard. I use Authentic Foods gluten free flours because they are ground more finely than commercial brand GF flours that you can buy off the shelf. This results in wonderful baked goods that do not have that “gritty” feel when you chew them like so many products that we all tried in the beginning!
GF Flour Mixture
2 cups AF Superfine Brown Rice Flour (available in the amazon.com store on my blog)
2/3 cup AF Potato Starch Flour (available in my store)
1/3 cup AF Tapioca Flour (available in my store)
I make up several batches of this mixture at a time and keep it in a canister. I keep all of my other GF flours in the freezer.
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