5 ingredients | simple baking – puddle cookies

puddle cookies-4

Since I came up with the 5 ingredients | 10 minutes idea for simple recipes, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to include some sweet treats under the banner.

But when it comes to baking, there are very few things that can be made in less than a quarter of an hour for the baking part, let alone the mixing and prep work.

So after further consideration I’ve decided to let go of the time limit for baked treats. To keep things simple we’ll stick to the 5 ingredients – and I’ll promise to keep the equipment and cooking times to a minimum.

And do I have a treat for you today – something I discovered via the lovely Heidi over at 101 cookbooks. She calls them ‘puddle cookies’ and the name alone is enough to fall in love with.

After overcoming my cocoa powder snobbery recently with my cocoa brownies, I got quite excited about these cookies. They’re light and crispy on the outside and gooey chocolatey goodness on the inside. With nuts for crunch and bound with just egg whites they’re a perfect way to use up leftover egg whites if you happen to have an ice cream making addiction.

With only 5 ingredients and a straight forward method that requires nothing more than a bowl and a spoon for stirring – we’re talking simple as well.

Oh and did I mention that they’re gluten AND dairy free? My dear old Dad couldn’t get enough.
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puddle cookies-3

[5 ingredients | simple baking]
puddle cookies
makes about 9 giant cookies

Inspired by Heidi from 101 cookbooks.

I made mine generously giant sized like Heidi – if you’d prefer a more modest cookie, by all means use smaller spoonfuls.

It judt occurred to me that if you were cooking for someone with nut allergies OR a die heard chocoholic – you could turn these into double choc puddle cookies by substituting in chocolate chips for the nuts. mmm.

155g (5oz or 1 1/2C) roasted & chopped nuts – I used hazelnuts
225g (9oz or 2C) icing (powdered or confectioners) sugar
30g (1oz or 1/3C) cocoa powder
1t vanilla extract
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 160C (320F).

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until well combined.

Spoon into 2 tablespoon piles on 2 baking trays lined with baking paper. Leave heaps of space between – they’re really going to spread.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until they have puffed up and cracked on top. Cool on the tray.

puddle cookies-2

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on breadshoes – a review of tetsuyas and your chance to win dinner and a masterclass with the man himself.

I’m ahead in my quest to read 26 books this year. Even thinking of upping it to 50 books. To check on my progress have a look at my now reading page.

93 Comments

  • Torture! I’m having an afternoon slump at the computer and I just want to eat one of these right off the screen!

  • These cookies look like a winner. Quick, easy, cheap, without looking like it. And I’m always on the lookout for nice ways to use leftover egg whites. Thanks very much for these recipes, they’re all great. Keep’em coming.

  • When I saw this come through my feed reader I thought “there’s no way these are gluten-free, that would make my life way too easy” (My husband is both the cookie monster AND has celiac’s. We are CONSTANTLY searching for the perfect cookie recipe. Well, by “we” I mean “me” :) When I clicked through and saw that they were gluten free, I just about fell out of my chair. These are so amazing looking. I can’t wait to surprise my husband with these. FANTASTIC!!! Are they “chewy”?

  • I have a dairy free friend who had a baby recently and baking for her is somewhat tricky so hooray for these – will try them this weekend! Plus anything that uses up eggwhites and isn’t meringue is a winner, much as I love meringues. And yes, I may just feel inclined to make a batch for me with real chocolate chips in too.. just to test them you understand!

  • I’ve just made them – I have to take a plate to a supper dance tomorrow night, don’t know if there’ll be any left though. They are SUPER SIMPLE and TOTALLY, decadently delicious.

  • Forgot to say – I used walnut pieces in mine as they are pretty cheap – and I didn’t roast them. They are still fantastic!!!!!!!!

  • yay denise
    glad you liked them. I think they would work with any nuts

    claire
    my dad is dairy, gluten and egg free – and he loves sweet things so I’m hearing you. do let us know how the choc chip version goes

    thanks nancy & spice and more

    hi tracy
    yep they’re chewy in the middle but light and crisp on the outside – the perfect combo

    thanks reem

    mark – you can’t go through life being afraid of a chocolate addiction – you’ve just got to embrace it!

    heather
    I was thinking the same – icecream and these cookies would be seriously amazing

    pleasure adele

    thanks peter & beth

    tresna
    the dreaded afternoon slump – hope you made it through ok

  • In the baking class I’m taking, we regularly make a cookie exactly like this, with the very same ingredients! They’re just delicious, and wonderfully cripsy-chewy. It is amazing that they contain no fat and no flour.

  • I have been looking for this recipe forever….I didn’t know these cookies were called puddle cookies. Thank you for sharing!

    Cheers,
    JD

  • OK, so my cookies don’t look much like yours.. I did two types – one with hazelnuts and one with chocolate chips and both sorts kind of separated.. in that the bottom was kind of crispy and the top didn’t crack but was crisp.. anyway I found the cookies too rich (and I made them about half the size of yours) but the kids loved them. The ones with chocolate in them were a bit smoother in the way that they cooked and the ones with hazelnuts had a nicer crunch. Not sure which I prefered but I’d probably play with the recipe and cook them at a slightly lower temperature if I made them again so that they were slightly less crispy and a bit more chewy. Interesting is my verdict but I’m not sold. Yet.

  • Just discovered your site! beautiful photos and I love these cookies, I could eat them on a daily basis, that’s for sure, especially if I added a good pinch of Aleppo pepper in the batter.

  • thanks beiruit – yes aleppo pepper would be lovely – a different take on chilli chocolate

    thanks peasepudding

    thanks for the feedback claire – sorry you didn’t have the best cookie experience. if the top didn’t crack – it actually sounds like the oven temp was too low and that they got cooked for too long. if it was hotter and quicker you’d get more expansion in the heat which leads to cracking when it cools down and it also means the outside is light and crisp but the inside is still chewy. really appreciate you letting me know. and good to know that the choc chip version is lacking in crunch – I might try and choc chip + nuts to get the best of both worlds

    conor – delight is the word!

    pleasure JD

    hi allie
    not familiar with payard -as I said – I found them via 101 cookbooks.
    I’m not sure what you mean about the cookies containing dairy – I’ve always thought that ‘dairy’ products were milk based from cows, goats, sheep etc and that eggs & chickens are a completely different area??

    thanks cityhippyfarmgirl

    glad your boyfriend was impressed heather – thanks for sharing

    jane – I know, I know. your baking class sounds fun

  • I will try again then Jules with a hotter temp and see if it works. I have a slightly temperamental oven so I have to judge temps somewhat when baking – ‘scuse the pun, – the kids insisted on having the “big yummy cookies” in their lunchboxes today so it wasn’t a total bust. And I think the combination of chocolate AND nuts is the way to go unless we’re catering for those with allergies! But then, when is chocolate and nuts bad..

  • I made these this weekend… didn’t have any baking paper so I decided to use tin foil…not good. I had to eat them with a spoon because they wouldn’t come off. Going to try again with baking paper. Still tasted great though!

  • I just made these to bring to my 4-hr performance class tomorrow (clearly actors need chocolate to keep them going for that long!) and shared one with my housemate to “test” – so. Good. Seriously. They’re perfectly crackly on the top and gooey in the middle. Awesome. I managed to squeeze a baker’s dozen out of the amounts here, and boy do they spread, so I don’t think it’d be unreasonable asking a couple of people to share tomorrow so that all 16 in the class can try some!

    Thanks for the recipe – definitely a keeper! x

  • PS: I substituted a mixture of milk and dark chocolate for the nuts, because I wasn’t sure who had nut allergies, but I’ve just made some caramelised pecans which I’ll be chopping up and throwing in next time! x

  • These look so great. Hazelnut-ty chocolately goodness. Yum. Plus you make it so so easy. I absolutely love that you are doing the five ingredient thing – you can bet I’ll be back again and again. I’m so in love with the Haagendaz Five ice cream you will never find me saying five ingredients are not enough. (I included your recipe in this week’s blog round-up, my first http://www.consumablejoy.com/2010/03/foodblog-a-round-week-of-2010-03-15/)

  • i made these this morning. it’s amazing that something so simple to make can taste so good. it’s just how i like my biscuits – crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. i am looking forward to trying endless variations with nuts, chocolate chips, alcohol soaked dried fruit and maybe praline.

  • Bonjour,
    I just discovered your blog yesterday, and, as I am a GREAT food-lover, I think it is very inspiring. While reading your tips and recipes, I feel like cooking everything immediatly. The only problem I find is the mesurements… I can manage to work with oz, but there is still a mystery: «1t vanilla extract» or «1/2C pesto». What do t or c mean? As a french canadian that uses cup as mesurement (one cup = 8 oz), i really don’t understand. In french cup=tasse, so for me, the t means 8oz.
    Thanks for the help and, mostly, thanks for this extraordinary blog, wich gained access to my eternal respect.

    Have a good day,
    Myriam :)
    (Oh, and sorry for my poor english, but at least… I try!)

  • bonjour myriam
    apologies for being a little unclear – 1C = 1 cup and 1T = 1 Tablespoon
    1t = teaspoon.

    hope that helps
    cheers
    jules

  • Hi,

    I would like to make this…but am just a little confused on one thing. Is this really all u need. I mean no milk or any liquid? So when u place mixture on the baking sheet…its basically a powdery substance? Any help appreciated.

  • hi brainysmurf – great name

    yes this is all you need – the egg whites provide the liquid so it’s like a wet mix with nut chunks through it. they’re really good.

  • A few of mine stuck to the baking paper and had to be scraped off with a knife, right into my mouth, mind you. And they sort of fell apart. Not all, but most. Thinking maybe I undercooked them. They were fractionally too sweet for me, though don’t know how you get around that as I don’t think you could cut back on the icing sugar. They were yummy and chewy though and I will try cooking them a bit longer to see if this makes them come off the baking paper more easily.

  • I just made a batch of these, with chopped dark chocolate instead of nuts, and I substituted a tablespoon of brewed coffee for the vanilla. The coffee really adds depth and cuts through the sweetness of all that icing sugar. Nom nom nom!

  • plum
    love the idea of the coffee

    cindy
    no I didn’t beat the whites first – that would have made the texture more like a meringue.

  • Oh my gosh these made me so happy!
    I was realllly skeptical that they would turn out good, but they’re perfect!
    I didn’t have nuts so I used semi & milk chocolate chips & they are to die for! Thanks for the recipe!

  • I love this website and your creativity. What is the estimated ‘shelf life’ of the puddles? and I am not talking ‘temptation time’ !!!

  • caroline
    excellent question!
    they haven’t hung around very long in my house. I’d say at least a week in an airtight container or bag. If I wanted to keep for longer I’d probably pop in the freezer.

    natalie
    thanks for sharing your results that’s awesome

  • Mmmm, these are yummy! They really do make a puddle – when I first put them on the baking sheet I thought I might have done something wrong. Seriously delicious!

    Thank you so much for all of these recipes and the minimalist cooking, I absolutely love it.

  • Omg just finished eating one of this cookies and in future I think I’m going to make sure I have a glass of milk in hand to go with them lol! Sooooo good but I don’t think I could eat more than one in a sitting. I only made one small pan first up to see how they came out so I think with the rest of the batter I might make little bit-sized pieces. yum yum yum

  • Thank you so much for the recipe! My grandmother has high blood sugar levels, so I made a batch where I cut the sugar by half and just dumped the entire mixing bowl content into a tray. They came out fluffier and tasting like dark chocolate moist cake! Excellent! :D

  • Wow, I really want to try these cookies. Thanks for posting the recipe! But is it possible to substitute with granulated/organic white sugar? If so, do you know the measurements that needs to be adjusted? Thanks in advance!

  • westia
    if you use granulated sugar it’s not going to dissolve as well as the powdered sugar so the cookies will have a grainy texture and you may get some sugar weeping from them but if you’re ok with a bit of extra texture it will be fine.

  • yeah jules ! Easy and no white flour !
    I bring cookies to Bible study and going to try these out. I am grateful to have found your help. We appreciate you.

  • Wow.. I made these last night and thought they were good fresh out of the oven, but Oh Em Gee, are they fantastic the next day!

    I didn’t bake all of the batter, and the leftovers have tightened up a lot. We’ll see how they come out…

  • Made these tonight while tidying up the kitchen. By the time I was done they had cooled and were perfect as a reward for all my hard work. Soooooo easy to make. Only problem is that I grabbed two to eat with my cup of tea (they just looked so good), and could only finish one. More left to share tomorrow. :)

  • Gave these cookies as a gift…but I changed it up a bit. Instead of actually making/ baking them, I used powdered egg whites, so that all the ingredients were dry. I layered the ingredients nicely in a jar. The only liquid/ ingredient the recipient needed was a couple of tablespoons of water. Wrote out instructions, tied on a pretty ribbon…viola! quick gift.

  • I neglected to tell you that I omitted the vanilla…and subbed in a tiny sprinkle of instant coffee…i was told the cookies were fabulous.

    I have yet to make them for myself!

  • Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.

  • I just made these tonight… I don’t know how everyone else didn’t have this happen to them, but they didn’t turn out at all as “cookies”. Maybe it was because i actually needed the baking paper? The first batch (with greased pan) i let them cool, maybe a little longer than usually (but that shouldn’t really make a difference right?) and it was impossible to take off. Second batch (with wax paper), felt like it wasn’t cooked enough. Either way, everything came out crumbly since i had to scrapped it all off. Another thing i notice is that it just kind of… flatten itself, not puffy at all.
    I mean, the crumbs i had was tasty, stupid sweet, and… really sticky. But yeah..
    It was a fail ):

  • I like the valuable information you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here regularly. I’m quite certain I’ll learn many new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!

  • my batch came out poorly
    bad nut brittle and all sugar,if hindsight were foresight I would not have tried this all sugar mess.

  • Hi…thank you for the recipe, it look quite simple. What would happen if I used a little bit of butter in the recipe for a richer texture?

    • Good question Annie..
      I’d say butter may make them a little softer and less crunchy.. but that might be a good thing..
      Do report back if you try it out

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  • Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is great blog. A fantastic read. I’ll definitely be back.

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  • Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is magnificent blog. A great read. I’ll certainly be back.

  • are the whites supposed to be whipped up or something? there just didn’t seem to be enough liquid to pull the batter together. it was very dry. I added a touch more egg white and mixed with my hands and that seemed to do the trick. Now that they are baking they just are not spreading like they should. Should I have just kept mixing the original recipe until it came together? I would like to give this a second try with a bit of guidance!

  • Yummmmm…this is my dream dessert! First of all the batter was delicious :)
    I recently started eating gluten free, and I also am lactose intolerant. But I absolutely love desserts and chocolate…so these hit the spot! I’ve missed deserts so much! Thanks so much for sharing!
    I added instant coffee granules & craisins and baked them like brownies. I used a hand mixer and there was a perfect amount of liquid and everything.
    LOVE THESE.

  • hey, just made these with my 9 yr old son, had to keep his tongue out of the mix….
    they are great!!!!!

    Thankyou

  • i dont understand why my mixture was dry. very dry. the 2 egg whites were not enough for all those dry mixtures

  • I love these have tried these 3 times each one of them great. The first one I used half dark chips with rough chopped nuts you were right to say they spread we broke them into thirds. The second did rough chopped nuts without the chips still great. If you like your cookies a bit more on the soft side put I chopped my nuts (used pecans) just short of nut butter about the size of rice in my processor the difference is they don’t crack so you need to check so they burn.

  • Jules, I made these last night… amazing!
    The bigger they are, the fudgier. When I made smaller ones, they were crisper (and coincidentally easier to get off the baking parchment.) I made them with toasted pecans (cuz that’s what we have in Texas!). Thanks for sharing so much of your cooking with us. I love your blog, and your recipes (many of which I make.)

    Stefani

  • hey jules,

    do you have any recipes that might be a little bit better for someone with diabetes that would taste super good??? :)

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