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!”

　　

Ingredients

makes 60 cookies

　　1 cup (200 g) sugar

　　5 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) all-purpose flour

　　1/4 cup (60 ml) egg whites (about 2 large egg whites)

　　Pinch of salt

　　3/4 cup (90 g) almonds or hazelnuts, toasted and very coarsely chopped (see Tip)

　　

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.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.