Chocolate Fudge Cookies with Mango Buttercream Filling

There were mangoes on my counter. Crying out for butter and sugar. And chocolate. They really wanted chocolate. 

That and I was totally interested in the concept of flourless chocolate cookies. The fudge quotient in my life needed to be filled. 

And so we find the perfect combination of dark, heavy cocoa and light, tangy mango.

In the beginning there is powdered sugar, cocoa and salt.

And you've got to use the dark cocoa. Embrace that dark devil.

Add egg whites until you get it to the super-thick-brownie-batter point.

Then toss in the chocolate chips.

Make little baby chocolate mounds on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Trust me, you need all the help the paper/mat provides. These suckers are sticky and spread out quite a bit!

Let them bake until shiny and split on top. They puff up a little. Don't worry, they sink when they cool down. 

Now, DON'T TOUCH them. The cookies need to completely cool on the sheet. Don't even peek at them. Your patience will be rewarded. 

Now, for the icing, start with butter. 

Whip it. Whip it good.

Puree some mango. Or buy it pureed, if you can.

Now, alternate additions of mango and powdered sugar until you have a taste and consistency that you like.

Then slather it all over half the cookies. Use the other half to sandwich them. 

Make sure to refrigerate the cookies. The delicious buttercream needs to be kept cool, or it will melt and get all smooshy. 

They are rich enough that I decided to cut them in half before sending them into work with Mr. S. If I had cut the cookies prior to sandwiching them, it would have been much less messy....

Not that I minded cleaning up the leftovers!

Fudgey Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches with Mango Buttercream

Makes 14 sandwiches

Adapted from Chocolate & Carrots

For cookies:

3 c. powdered sugar

2/3 c. dark cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 or 4 egg whites

1 1/2 c. 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips

For filling:

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter, softened

3 to 3.5 c. powdered sugar

1 mango, peeled and pureed or 1 c. mango puree

For the cookies - preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa and salt. Whisk in the egg whites, starting with 3, adding the fourth only if the batter is too thick. I only needed 3, but my eggs were labeled "large." Once the batter looks like brownie batter, add the chocolate chips. 

Using a regular silverware spoon, create little mounds of  batter, well spaced on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the tops are shiny and cracked and cookies are a little puffed. 

Remove pans from oven and allow to cool completely before attempting to remove cookies. This gives you plenty of time to make the filling. 

Put the butter in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat it until fluffy. Add a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and mix it in. Then a few tablespoons of mango puree, mixing that in. Alternate 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and tablespoons of puree until you achieve a consistency and taste that you like.

Peel the cookies off the parchment/silpat. If you want to make 1/2 cookie sandwiches, now would be a good time to cut the cookies in half. Fill half the number of cookies with the mango mixture, and top them with the other half. Place the sandwiched cookies in the refrigerator for the filling to set.

You won't have to wait long for the cookies to disappear....