This recipe is the result of a 12-year obsession. I first fell for these wispy cookies when I bought a startlingly pricey pack of them at an upscale gourmet store in America. When I moved to France, I was surprised how common these crackly cookies are. I was so excited—they were everywhere! Have I mentioned that I’m obsessive? It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that I just had to come up with a recipe for the cookies myself. I checked the ingredients list on as many packages as I could get my hands on, and they certainly seemed simple enough. What followed was years of duds as I searched for ways to combine the mere handful of ingredients into the lightly caramelized croquants of my dreams. Then, suddenly, one day, after a lot of trial and just as much error, I got it right. I wasn’t the only one pleased with the results: I left a sack for the highly opinionated French woman who cleans my apartment, and arrived home later to find a little note that read “EXTRA DELICIEUX. Merci, David!”
Recipe information
Yield
makes 60 cookies
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. (I don’t recommend using silicone baking mats for this recipe as the croquants won’t be as crisp.)
Step 2
In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and flour, then stir in the egg whites and salt until smooth. Stir in the almonds or hazelnuts.
Step 3
Drop level teaspoons of batter at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Step 4
Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until the cookies are toasty brown in color, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
Storage
Step 5
The batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. Let it come to room temperature before spooning and baking. Store the baked croquants in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
tip
Step 6
For this recipe, the almonds or hazelnuts should be very coarsely chopped—basically cut into rough halves or thirds.
