Biscuits de Chocolat (Chocolate Cookies)
Meringue-like cookies that are mildly chocolatey and very, very sweet. Pair with Crême de Chocolat for a dessert à la Marie Antoinette
City/Region: France
Time Period: 1715
While Marie Antoinette’s actual thoughts on cake may not be known, it is known that she was a big fan of chocolate. When she moved from Vienna to France at age 14 to be the crown princess, or Dauphine, she had her own chocolatier move with her. These cookies are only mildly chocolate-flavored, so Marie would have probably enjoyed them alongside very dark, intense Crême de Chocolat. They have a crisp exterior and chewy interior, but are slightly denser than a modern meringue.
“You take egg white, and grate chocolate into it: you don’t need much; because it is only to give the smell and the color. Then take some sugar ground to powder and mix it well with the rest; it takes until you have a manageable dough; then you will set out your biscuits the way that you want, on sheets of paper, and put them in the oven to cook them over a low heat, both below and above. ”
Ingredients:
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 heaping cup (225 g) powdered sugar
- 5-6 tablespoons (50 g) unsweetened chocolate, grated, or cocoa powder, more or less as desired
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form. Sprinkle in about half the chocolate or cocoa powder and continue to beat.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing continuously. Add more chocolate if desired, the amount may be more or less than is listed above; it’s up to how you want it.
- The batter will be a lot looser than a regular cookie dough and not as fluffy as a modern meringue. Stop mixing when everything is well incorporated and holds its shape.
- The shape and size are up to you, some examples from the time period are round and the size of a walnut, some say long like ladyfingers. I piped mine into rosettes, as they are for the Queen.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Without opening the door, turn the oven off and let the biscuits cool for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours.
- Serve them forth with Crême de Chocolat.