These chocolate cookies are so rich and delicious! Made with almond flour, they also happen to be gluten-free and grain-free, so they are perfect for sharing with friends. You’ll find these cookies and so many more great desserts in the new cookbook Let Them Eat Cake by Gesine Bullock-Prado.
I’ve mentioned many times before that I’m not grain-free, gluten-free, vegan, or most other food labels out there. I also feel incredibly fortunate that I don’t have any food allergies. That being said, the one thing I am when I cook and bake is a bit of a pleaser.
If I invite you over, give you a food gift, or share a potluck with you, I want you to be able to eat. Not eating sounds like no fun at all. So any tool that helps me help more people eat good food, well, I’m all for it.
It’s rare to come across a cookbook that is for everyone. One that you can buy for anyone on your gift list and one that you can use to make sweet treats for anyone you might be eating with. I’ve found it though, and to be honest, I’m pretty blown away by it. It’s downright awesome.
Let Them Eat Cake by Gesine Bullock-Prado provides an incredibly innovative (and necessary) approach to baking. To be honest, I didn’t know what the book was all about when I volunteered to share it on my blog. I have Gesine’s book, Pie It Forward, which I absolutely love, so I had no doubt this new book would impress me. Impressed I am, and you will be, too.
Let Them Eat Cake contains more than 80 classic recipes that go beyond cake. There are also pies, cookies, pancakes and ice cream bars. For each recipe, you are first presented with the classic. Then the author gives variations for vegan, gluten-free and healthier options. Yep, that means you can make Pecan Pie for your gluten-free friend, Coconut Cake for your family member that has an egg allergy, and Madeleines for the vegan-eaters in your life.
Isn’t that fantastic?! All these recipes with every variation you might need, and with a delicious result.
What I also like about this book is the author’s story. This book came about, not as a need for herself, but from a need to help everyone have the ability to celebrate with these classic desserts. The intro to the book has a helpful overview of egg replacers, alternative flours, fats and sweeteners, too. So you’ll gain some knowledge that you can use beyond these pages.
The recipe I wanted to make was actually grain and gluten free to begin with. The author writes that this wasn’t the initial goal, she was really trying to make a baked truffle-like cookie. Whatever the intentions, she nailed it. The bonus is that any grain or gluten free folks in your life will be able to enjoy them as much as you do. The book also has a vegan version and a version with alternative sugars.
They are rich with dark chocolate and they have a wonderful sweet and salty balance. Be sure to plan ahead. The dough will need at least 2 hours in the fridge and then you’ll need to freeze the cookies for another 1 to 2 hours before baking.
If this sounds like a book for you, (And why wouldn’t it. It’s really a book for everyone.) I have good news. It goes on sale today! You definitely need a book that allows you to bake for everyone. It’s without a doubt the most versatile cookbook on my shelf.
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 10 ounces (280 g) bittersweet chocolate (like Lindt 70%), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup (100 g) almond flour or very finely ground blanched slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (like Cacao Barry Extra Brute)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, ¼ cup (50 g) of the sugar, and the honey. Mix on high speed until the mixture ribbons thickly.
- Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a sauce¬pan of simmering water (to make a double boiler) until melted. Let cool slightly.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the melted chocolate and stir well. Add one quarter of the egg mixture to the chocolate to lighten it, stirring with a wooden spoon until no egg streaks are visible. Add the remaining egg mixture and gently fold with a large rubber spatula until completely incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, 2 hours to overnight. It is imperative that the mixture is incredibly firm.
- Put the remaining ½ cup (100 g) sugar in a small bowl. Fill a heatproof mug with very hot water. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Using a teaspoon cookie scoop or a melon baller, first dip the scoop in the hot water and then scoop out a round of batter. Roll the ball in the sugar, then place it on the prepared pan (you can space them very close together to freeze; you will use another sheet pan to bake off). Continue to scoop and coat the balls. Cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line another sheet pan with parchment, remove the cookie-filled sheet pan from the freezer, re-dip each cookie in sugar, and place the cook¬ies 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the new sheet pan, placing any cookies that didn’t fit onto the sheet pan back in the freezer until their turn in the oven comes. Immediately bake for 10 minutes, turning the sheet pan after 5 minutes. The cookies will look slightly cracked but the sugar will not be browned when they are done baking.
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I am pretty much obsessed with anything Gesine makes, so I need this cookbook! I, too, love being able to cater to all food restrictions when I have people over…these cookies look so perfect for everyone to enjoy!
Joanne, you will love this one! So many great recipes in it!
they totally look like a starry night, i can see why they are called that. so perfect looking too!
Hi, Kelsey! They definitely fit the name! Really fun!