We’ve got a way to capture a little piece of heaven and bring it down to earth (and into our ovens). Puffy, almost meringue-like cookies that are light and airy, and don’t let their dark color make you feel stormy – these fluffy puffs are filled with sweet chocolate drops (in the form of chocolate chips) and cocoa powder, ingredients that are guaranteed to chase the metaphorical clouds away. If you’ve not had these before, then you’re in for a real treat!
We fell upon this recipe recently after our foray into cloud bread, and felt inspired to do a little more experimentation. What better way to shake up a recipe than with chocolate! We took our cloud bread formula and made some changes, adding sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and of course mini chocolate chips. These puff up in the oven into light and fluffy clouds of chocolate goodness. And here’s a little surprise benefit: these cookies are gluten free, and we were able to use the same chocolate chips that we do in our usual chocolate chip cookie batter. We love this cookie because it just tastes good, and we also love knowing that it can be shared with family and friends who need some gluten free options.
Making good food that is gluten free doesn’t mean you have to compromise on taste or enjoyment. These cookies prove that eating well doesn’t mean we’re chomping on cardboard or missing out on flavor. Chocolate clouds store well in an airtight container at room temperature, but they’re also pretty irresistible, so don’t expect them to last very long. A gust of wind (and by that we mean the rush of wind as our family races into the kitchen to grab a cookie) will quickly blow these clouds away!
INGREDIENTS
4 large eggs, separated to whites
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup mini chocolate chips
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 300°F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar, followed by vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Sugar should be dissolved and egg whites glossy in appearance.
Sift cocoa powder into egg whites and fold gently until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips, then drop even-sized heaping scoops onto cookie sheet.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until cookies are just dry. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.