Chocolate Puffs for Hamilton Buffs: Sweet 18th Century Treats

My friend Laura at Mother Would Know just released her new book, The Hamilton Cookbook: Cooking, Eating, and Entertaining in Hamilton’s World. And she was kind enough to share a sample recipe for Chocolate Puffs. Luckily, I had time to bake them up and photograph these cookies with a candy-like crunch. 

Although The Hamilton Cookbook isn’t strictly dairy free, it’s still such a fun, gift-worthy book for any Hamilton fan. And it really isn’t just about recipes.

The Chapters include:

1. Alexander Hamilton: Who Was He?
2. Hamilton’s World: 18th Century West Indies and Colonial/Early Federal America
3. Cooking in Hamilton’s Time
4. Dining with Alexander Hamilton
5. Explanation of Recipes
6. Original & Adapted Recipes

There is just so much interest and history to read in this fact-filled cookbook. As for the recipes, about half of the 22 recipes are naturally dairy free, and most others are easy to adapt if you are comfortable with substituting for milk and butter.

These Chocolate Puffs from the “Sweets” recipes in The Hamilton Cookbook are naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, so I didn’t need to make any substitutions!

Tasting Notes: Chocolate Puffs

They aren’t fluffy and airy like I expected. Rather, they have a big cookie crunch and a candy-like sweetness. You can reduce the sugar a touch, but these are meant to be sweet. Just be sure that you use superfine sugar. They will come out even sweeter if you use a regular or coarse sugar.

Special Diet Notes: Chocolate  Puffs

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Chocolate Puffs

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

75 mins

Total time

1 hour 25 mins

 

These tiny sweets are a cross between cookies and candy. They are crisp, intensely chocolaty, and addictive.

Author: Laura Kumin of Mother Would Know

Serves: About 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed)
• 1 egg white
• Pinch cream of tartar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Set aside two parchment-lined cookie sheets (Alisa's Note: I only needed one cookie sheet).
2. In a medium-small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cocoa until they are a uniform color. Set the mixture aside.
3. With a hand beater, stand mixer, or clean whisk, whip the egg white until it is very frothy and beginning to stiffen. (When using a hand or stand mixer to whip egg whites, start at a low speed and slowly raise the speed to medium. Do not use the higher speeds because egg whites whipped that way are less stable.) If desired, add a pinch of cream of tartar to help the egg white froth and stiffen. Once the egg white reaches the soft peak stage, slowly add the sugar/cocoa mixture while continuing to beat the egg white. The result should be a thick paste.
4. Wet your hands slightly and form the batter into small coins about ¾-inch diameter. Place them on the parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake 1¼ to 1½ hours.
5. Store the cookies in a tightly covered container.

Notes

This recipe is reprinted with permissions from The Hamilton Cookbook by Laura Kumin.

3.5.3229

Key Pantry Supplies: Chocolate Puffs

More Classic Cocoa-Rich Treats

Whoopie Pies (optionally vegan, nut-free & soy-free)

Chocolate Whipped Cream (vegan, gluten-free & allergy-friendly)

Cola Cake with Fudgy Frosting (vegan, optionally nut-free & soy-free)