There are so many reasons to make these cookies.

First, as Alison notes below, they’re not overly sweet, so they’re ideal for this time of year when you’re inundated with confections, and even savoury dishes are skewing on the sweeter side (I’m looking at you marshmallows, maple syrup, and sweet potato casserole). Second, they’re are as good as #TheCookies. Maybe even better. There, I said it. Don’t @ me. And finally, scientific studies* show cookies are immeasurably more delectable when shared (*okay, it was me), so whip up a batch (or three) to distribute amongst fam and friends this season, because: 1. You’re less likely to eat them all on your own (trust me you’ll be tempted, especially since they’re small - no one will notice if five are missing, right?), and 2. Gifts from the heart are truly the best gifts of all.

———

Tiny, Salty, Chocolatey Cookies

makes 24 cookies

6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter

21⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar


3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (see Note)


1 teaspoon kosher salt


2 large egg whites


1 large egg


8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 67% cacao), chopped

1⁄2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, or walnuts (optional)


Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon or Jacobsen

NOTE This is the time to invest in some high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, since that’s mostly what you’ll be tasting here (that, and browned butter).

I am not a chocolate person, but there are some occasions when I want a lightly sweet, definitely salty, chocolatey little something. In those moments, there is nothing better than this something, which I can best describe as the edges of a chewy brownie but in cookie form.

No special equipment, fancy techniques, or chilling time are needed, which means that even if you only bake cookies once a year, you can still make these. Perfect for the end of a meal, when you, too, have decided you’ve just got to have a chocolatey little something.

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

2 Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat, swirling, until starting to foam and brown, 3 to 4 minutes (whisk the butter from time to time so that the solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pot). Let cool.

3 Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl, ridding it of as many lumps as possible (if you really want to, feel free to sift everything).

4 Using a spatula, mix in the egg whites, whole egg, and browned butter, stirring until you’ve got a good, smooth-
ish mixture (any small lumps will take care of themselves), followed by the chocolate and any nuts you may want to add.

5 Using a spoon, drop quarter-sized blobs of dough (the texture is really somewhere between a dough and a batter), spacing about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet (they spread a lot). Sprinkle with flaky salt and bake until the cookies have flattened considerably and look baked through and a little wrinkled, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool before eating so they can firm up.

DO AHEAD Cookies can be baked up to 2 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and stored at room temperature.

Alison Roman’s Tiny, Salty, Chocolatey Cookie is excerpted from NOTHING FANCY: UNFUSSY FOOD FOR HAVING PEOPLE OVER © 2019 by Alison Roman. Photography © 2019 by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott. Reproduced by permission of Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved.

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