MAIDA HEATTER'S CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH GIN-SOAKED RAISINS

Maida Heatter's Chocolate Cookies with Gin-Soaked Raisins image

Yield Makes about 12 large cookies

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup gin
3 cups sifted confectioners sugar (sift before measuring)
2/3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process (sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (unsifted)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz pecans (2 1/4 cups), toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

Steps:

Combine raisins and gin in a cup and let stand at least 8 hours to macerate.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 2 large baking sheets, shaking off excess flour.
Mix confectioners sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, flour, and salt with an electric mixer at low speed. Add egg whites and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.
Drain raisins in a sieve, without pressing, then add raisins to dough with pecans. Stir until thoroughly mixed. (Dough will be thick and sticky.)
Working quickly, drop 1/4 cup dough for each cookie onto a baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 3 inches apart, and gently pat down each mound to about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven, rotating sheet halfway through baking, 15 to 17 minutes total, or until cookies appear cracked and centers are just set. Cool cookies on sheet 1 minute, then transfer carefully to a rack to cool completely.