Basler Brunsli

First on this year's Christmas Cookie list is Basler Brunsli; a popular and festive Chocolate spiced cookie enjoyed throughout the Christmas season in Switzerland. I was excited when I reviewed the ingredients as it has no flour at all so I am able to enjoy them in it's original form. I have never made this before so was unsure of the texture and appearance. I may have been too eager and was not patient after stamping them out as instructed by the recipe so the cookie spread whilst baking. The cookies filled the house with a gorgeous aroma whilst baking and certainly added to the Christmas spirit. This is again a Nick Malgieri recipe featured in Gourmet's Cookies Favourites 1942-2008. Recipe can be found here or for convenience below.



Basler Brunsli
- by Nick Malgieri adapted from Gourmet.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole natural almonds (8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups sugar plus additional for coating work surface
6 ounces Swiss or other fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup egg whites (from about 2 large eggs)

Method
In a food processor combine almonds with 1 1/2 cups sugar and pulse until ground fine (do not overprocess or mixture will become warm and melt chocolate when added). Add chocolate and pulse until ground fine. Add spices and pulse twice. Add whites and pulse until mixture forms a stiff dough, adding 1 teaspoon water if necessary. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.

On a surface coated with additional sugar press out or roll dough about 1/4 inch thick. With bottom of fork held facing down and tines touching dough at 60-degree angle, score dough about 1/16 inch deep by pulling fork across in a series of parallel vertical lines. With a 2-inch heart-, star-, and/or clover-leaf-shaped cutter cut out cookies and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Press dough scraps together and cut out more cookies in same manner. Let cookies stand, uncovered, at room temperature 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Put cookies in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 300° F. Bake cookies, switching position of sheets in oven halfway through baking, 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are just firm (do not overbake or cookies will be hard), and cool on sheets on racks. Keep cookies in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. Makes about 60 cookies.