My favorite patisserie in New York City is by far Payard on Lexington Avenue between 73rd and 74th Streets. There is nothing like peering through the glass displays at all of their elegant pastries and tarts. Although they have a torturous array of sweets combining classic and playful combinations, my favorite item there is the Flourless Butterless Chocolate Cookie. It is chewy, chocolatey, and perfectly (not too) sweet. I have pondered, though never attempted, how they make such a perfect cookie without any butter or flour. How is it not too sweet? not too rich? not too filling? I was imagining corn syrups and the like, but never did I think I would be able to replicate the recipe on my own. I was not quite sure that I wanted to either.
Well, last night I was perusing our collection of old Gourmet magazines, in search of a vintage dessert recipe to make for Easter, when I flipped to the "You Asked For It" section of an April 2002 issue. There, right in front of my eyes was the Payard Flourless Butterless Chocolate Cookie recipe. Words cannot express my gratitude for Gourmet publishing this recipe, even though it is "adapted from" the original. Alas, a jump start into a whole new world of butterless, flourless! I will be baking these up in no time, with variations and combinations galore. However, I will always return to Payard for the original cookie, and a decadent afternoon of French pastry.