Numbers matter, is it 2, 3 or 4?

Once upon a time I was the one who made my nephews’ and niece’s birthday cakes. I love a good baking challenge. Once I made a Cat in the Hat cake that was terrible – I was quickly forgiven but I still remember the tears over that silly cake. Since food allergies and Celiac Disease entered the picture, I’m out of the auntie birthday cake business. I am not confident enough in my GF baking and what if I use something that has something someone is allergic to? (soy, food coloring, etc) This year I did try to make some GF cookies for the birthday boy. To me they are wildly different, mostly powdered sugar and egg whites. I told Andy I was basically making little egg white and chocolate omelets… look at the ingredients – I’m not wrong. The one bit in this recipe that bugs me – add enough egg whites until it’s the correct thickness. What the heck does that even mean?! No idea. I used three. So if you aren’t sure? Use three – hedge your bet on the middle. The good news is that my brother wasn’t even sure if these were OK for him to eat! They were fudgy and tasted great. It’s nice to know I have a recipe I can use to make them a special treat on occasion.

(Flourless) Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Set aside two baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt.
Whisk in the vanilla and egg whites starting with just two.
Beat just until the batter is moistened. You’re looking for a brownie-like, thick and fudgy batter consistency. If it seems too thick, add another egg white– then a 4th one if it still seems too thick.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Scoop the batter by the tablespoon full onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.
Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.