Pecan Chewy Chocolate Cookies

I have been wanting to make these cookies since seeing them on Cookie Madness. Seeing Central Market's version yesterday while I was shopping prompted me to think that it's time.

My first reaction when the dough came together was, let's call it what it is. This is not cookie dough, it's cookie batter. It freaked me out a little bit and I hoped it was right. My second reaction was that this batter is like royal icing; the egg whites start to dry surprisingly quickly.

I used a one-tablespoon scoop, but I figured out pretty quickly that I was getting more than 24 cookies out of this, more like 40. Which meant that mine must be smaller than Anna's which meant that I was probably over cooking them. I decided to cut down on the baking time, experimenting with 12 minutes and then 10.

These cookies are yummy! Shiny and crispy on the outside, chewy and gooey on the inside. I think Anna's right and they might have been even better with dutch-processed cocoa. Hard to complain though.

• Pecan Chewy Chocolate Cookies (recipe courtesy of Anna at Cookie Madness)

Pecan Chewy Chocolate Cookies
8 ounces chopped pecans
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them for about 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

Place sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in mixer bowl and stir together. Beat in egg whites, one at a time, scrapping bowl. Beat in vanilla and continue beating at high speed for 1 minute. Stir in cooled, toasted chopped pecans.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies for spreading. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, turning sheet halfway though baking time.

Yields about 40 cookies.