gluten free flourless double chocolate pecan cookies!

oh my goodness! you are in for a real treat with these babies. i got this recipe from an issue of martha stewarts everyday food.. these cookies are moist chewy and oh so chocolatey! and the best part is that there's no fat in them, so you can sit back and enjoy these cookie's without.. well too much guilt =] seriously though.. these are hands down the best chocolate cookie's i've ever eaten!

ingredients:

• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 5 ounces semi sweet bakers chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups pecans (or other nut), chopped
• 4 egg whites (room temperature)
  

#1. whisk together sugar, cocoa and salt.

..chocolate!

#2. mix in the chocolate and pecan chunks.


#3. add the egg whites and stir just until incorporated (be careful not to over mix)


#4. with large cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough 3 inches apart on baking sheet.


#5. flatten your cookies with the palm of your hand and place in a 325 degree oven. cook for 10 minutes, rotate pan and cook for another 10 minutes.. until tops are dry and cracked.




#6. let cool on pan for a few minutes. move to wire rack and let cool completely.

mhmmm! make them..
you won't be disappointed.

xoxo mandie

rudis or udi's..

ever since i found out that i have celiac i have been searching for a good bread.. especially a good sandwich bread. most of the time gluten free breads don't taste very good unless they are toasted and slathered in butter! and while toast with butter is delicious.. it's not always convenient (and not to mention.. not exactly the healthiest choice) and sometimes you just want a cold lunch meat or peanut butter sandwich.

i found this udi's loaf about a year ago (well, not this exact loaf.. that'd be disgusting :o) and was super impressed with it.. i recently came across rudis sandwich bread and was curious how they compare. so i decided to do a little review to compare them and figure out which is best. so here goes..

udi's whole grain bread:

appearance: i would say it deserves 4 stars.. it is very pretty and even though the shape isn't exactly like a regular loaf of bread, it's decent.. size is small and color is very white.
flavor: 5 stars! the flavor of this bread is amazing. it tastes like real bread! no after taste.
texture: 5 stars.. this bread is light and airy.. not too dry.. crust is soft.. holds together really well and doesn't crumble in your mouth. a huge plus!

rudis original sandwich bread

appearance: 4 stars.. it is very pretty.. shape is good.. size is small and color is a golden light brown. overall it looks fairly normal.
flavor: i'd say 4 stars.. the flavor is good.. tastes very much like regular bread and there is no after taste.
texture: 2 1/2 to 3 stars.. this bread is considerably denser than the udi's.. it holds together well enough while you're handling it but once you bite into, it crumbles in your mouth. the crust is kind of hard and the whole thing is a little on the dry side.

overall:

udi's
5 stars! it is excellent for making sandwiches and eating cold. this will be a regular in my freezer.. (ooh, i forgot to mention.. both of these breads must be stored in an airtight container in the freezer to keep them fresh)

rudis
3 stars.. this really is a good option and while it might not be the best for making cold sandwiches it would be yummy toasted.. or even as a grilled sandwich. i would probably buy it again.

xoxo mandie