Specialties of Basel, in northern Switzerland, these chocolatey confections are often described as Swiss brownies. Almonds, sugar, and chocolate are ground fine and bound together with egg whites to create a satisfyingly chewy texture, while cinnamon and cloves impart an unmistakable flavor of old-fashioned Christmas cheer.
Chocolate–Almond Spice Cookies (Basler Brunsli)
Often described as Swiss brownies, these naturally gluten-free Christmas cookies are bound together with egg whites to create a satisfyingly chewy texture.
Yield: makes about 4 dozen
Ingredients
- 8 oz. whole blanched almonds
- 1 1⁄2 cups sugar, plus more for rolling
- 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1⁄2 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Finely grind almonds and sugar in a food processor. Add chocolate; pulse until finely ground. Add cinnamon, cloves, and egg whites; pulse to make a dough. Sprinkle a large piece of parchment paper with sugar; transfer dough to paper. Lay another piece of paper over dough; roll dough to 1⁄8” thickness. Cut out cookies with star-shaped cutters; transfer to parchment paper—lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 1″ apart. Reroll scraps and repeat. Let dough dry for 3 hours. Heat oven to 300°. Bake until cookies are slightly puffed, 12-15 minutes. Let cool.