Comments on: Flourless Fudge Cookies: a special treat for the gluten-free crowd.

By: jami

jami — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 04:25:18 +0000

Just a note - I used a silpat for one tray and parchment for the other, and I found it infinitely easier to remove the cookies from the parchment.

By: Lauren B

Lauren B — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:03:26 +0000

Hi Rae, erythritol does not work well in cookies. It tend to crystallize, imparting a “cooling” menthol flavor, and a crumbly texture. It does not have the texture properties of sugar for this application. It works quite well in cakes, things with a lot of moisture. See my blog for cake/cupcake recipes using erythritol and stevia.

PJ, those look great! I’ll fiddle around with sugar substitutes because I have to eat GF/SF, but these look so simply and yummy. I’m guessing a combo of powdered xylitol and Splenda would work well.

By: catherine wiese

catherine wiese — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:34:12 +0000

I too missed the directions re the mixer. I mixed the batter by hand and it was very stiff. I added the chocolate chips and the cookies really didnt spread at all, stayed in mounds from the scoop. They tasted great, but I am not sure what I did wrong. Would the mixer have made the difference? Thanks

By: pam studer

pam studer — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:18:11 +0000

i am in love with these cookies!! i was diagnosed with celiac disease this past march, and always was a big baker, especially cookies. i hadn’t until now, found a decent gluten-free cookie recipe. these were/are DIVINE! they are such a luscious rich treat. i did have to use 4 egg whites, and i added a cup of semi-sweet chocolate morsels, too. oh, they are sooo good! ps

Were you using large eggs, Pam? Sometimes eggs can vary a lot in size… And I usually do follow the chocolate chip option; it sends them over the top. Glad you found a cookie you can enjoy. PJH

By: Rae

Rae — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:43:53 +0000

Am I doing something wrong? I made these with powdered erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and liquid splenda, cocoa, and three egg whites, but the dough was crumbly, almost like shortbread. I’ve added three additional egg whites, I still haven’t got that runny, cake batter texture from the picture. Should I keep adding whites until the texture is right? Should I have sifted the cocoa before measuring?

Rae, I didn’t test the recipe with powdered erythritol and liquid Splenda, so no telling what happened… Sorry, I’ve never used either of those two ingredients. Perhaps they come with a recipe you could use, one that was developed specifically for their special properties? Not sure if these are salvageable at this point, and Id hate to have you keep adding more stuff. Maybe try simply adding water and pressing it all into a pan, like brownies? PJH

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:49:51 +0000

Thanks JC for asking about the Hershey’s cocoa! I too used the regular (I assume natural) Hershey’s since that’s what I had on hand. I like dark chocolate but this was a little bit too much. Thanks PJ for the great suggestions. I probably wouldn’t have tried them again but now I’m inspired!! These were really easy to pull together and I can see them being a regular in our house!!

By: Rachel T.

Rachel T. — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:01:07 +0000

I can just say one word, AMAZING…
There are no gluten restrictions in my family, but these cookies looked delicious, and sounded too easy to make.
We are all in love with chocolate, and I am always looking for low calorie chocolate treats. This one is perfect. I added 2 tsp “black cocoa” to the recipe, and it was the darkest, chocolatiest, chewiest cookie I ever had.
The cookies tasted even better the day after, because they seemed to taste less sweet. Next time I will try it with only 2 cups or even less confectioners’ sugar.
I had no problem scooping the cookie dough; probably because I chilled the dough in refrigerator for 20-25 minutes, and kept it in there while a batch was baking in the oven. The dough was still sticky, but my kids loved licking the spatula, and the cookie scoop.
I took a few pictures of the cookies, because not even they taste great, but they also look devilishly good too.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.

Rachel, thanks for sharing your experiences - what a nice community this is! PJH

By: JC

JC — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:19:39 +0000

I think I did something wrong (not unusual for me in the kitchen). I used Hershey’s cocoa powder (the only kind I had on hand) and followed the recipe as listed. They came out tasting like dark, dark chocolate, which was OK with me but the kids spit out quickly. Is there a way to make them less dark chocolate/more milk chocolate? The chocolate was so overpowering they were just too much (I know, I know, how can there be “too much” and “chocolate” in the same sentence).

Hi - Did you use natural cocoa? Like, just Hershey’s regular, not European-style? Natural cocoa is harsher/more acidic, which is probably what the kids were tasting. Next time, leave out the espresso powder, use Dutch-process (”European-style”) cocoa, and use a few tablespoons less - that should help. Understand these will never be a mild, milk chocolate cookie… And I’m with you, “less” and “chocolate” don’t belong in the same sentence together! PJH

By: Candace

Candace — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:33:06 +0000

Hey Ted - you might try substituting xylitol for the sugar. I’m going to try this recipe today! Xylitol has been great for everything - and it’s actually good for you! I use it for cooking, making lemonade, and on top of my morning oatmeal. I no longer use sugar for anything.

Q: What would happen if you used a whole egg?

Egg yolks wouldn’t hurt these cookies… they simply add fat, the whites provide the protein/structure. PJH

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:51:48 +0000

YUM! I just wanted to share that even if you mess these up they are salvagable and still insanely yummy!!

i missed the part about beating them in the mixer and just mixed it by hand … and it was WAY too thin to be a cookie. i also cheated and used the carton egg whites you can buy at the store - and they are pasteurized, which i didn’t realize until after i used them, not sure that it mattered, but the carton said they don’t whip up…

i was not giving up though! so i pulled out my mini muffin tin, greased them and filled them almost to the top with the batter and put them in the oven at 300 degrees for um 10-15 minutes (? i dont remember! just check using a toothpick!).

YUM YUM YUM! They puffed up and rose and are like fudgy yummy mini chocolate better than brownie cupcakes or something. DELICIOUS!

ok, going to go try them now by actually following the directions…

Good job, Kate - chocolate is ALWAYS salvageable! PJH