Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cookies – A Healthy Treat

Melinda

I was wondering whether to post this recipe—a Swiss Christmas gluten-free cookie recipe—in the middle of summer, but I decided to share it for two reasons: 1. I first had cookies like these at the Liliomkert farmers' market in Káptalantóti, and always in summer. So to me, they have no connection to Christmas at all—in fact, they remind me of summer in the Káli Basin and at Lake Balaton. 2. There’s nothing remotely Christmassy in them. No cinnamon, no cloves, no orange zest—none of that.

But they are *delicious*. And since I used quite a small cookie cutter, they’re dangerously easy to snack on—one bite at a time, an entire tray can disappear before you know it. Ever since I first tried them, I’ve wanted to recreate the recipe, and I finally got around to it. I searched online for the perfect version and settled on this one, with a few tweaks (mainly: I swapped out the flour for cocoa powder—not missed at all). The first taste (still hot from the oven) was a bit disappointing—they tasted more like brownies. Which is fine, but the ones I had before were full of rich chocolate and marzipan flavor, with just a hint of fine spirits. Turns out, I just had to be patient: by the next day, the flavors had blended beautifully, and there it was—the perfect fudgy chocolate-marzipan cookie with a subtle raspberry brandy aftertaste. And yes, it’s gluten-free.

Bonus: it’s also great for using up leftover egg whites from the freezer!

Ingredients (for two trays of cookies)

• 160 g brown cane sugar
• 200 g ground almonds
• 50 g walnut butter
• 100 g dark chocolate (60% cocoa)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 egg whites
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons raspberry brandy
• for cutting: granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Melt the chocolate over a water bath or in the microwave.
2. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
3. In another bowl, mix together the ground almonds, sugar, and cocoa powder.
4. Gently fold the cooled melted chocolate into the egg whites, then combine with the almond mixture. Add the walnut butter and raspberry brandy as well.
5. Roll the dough out between two sheets of plastic wrap to about 1 cm thickness and cut with a cookie cutter dipped in sugar.
6. Bake for about 4 minutes. It’s crucial not to overbake them—they should stay soft and a bit gooey inside. Let them cool completely before eating :)