Brownie thins

I had extra walnuts laying around from the candied walnuts I made the other day.  I had a recipe for Brownie Thin cookies that I wanted to make, and I was convinced they called for walnuts (I mean, aren't walnuts the go-to nut for brownies?!) -- but they didn't.  I decided that I'd make them with walnuts anyway.

The recipe says that the cookies taste just like the top layer of a brownie - so the taste of a brownie with a lot fewer calories?  Sign me up!

Honestly, I'm not a fan of nuts in my baked goods - the only things I think nuts should be baked in are carrot cake and zucchini bread, though don't ask me why (I'm honestly not sure) - so I made some with the walnuts and some without.  The walnut ones looked nicer.

Brownie Thins (from Epicurious.com)

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp flour
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (I might make it without almond extract next time and double the vanilla...or use hazelnut extract and use hazelnuts on top instead of walnuts, or pistachios)
pinch of coarse kosher salt
nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup chopped pistachios (I used walnuts)

Directions:

Place the rack in lowest third of oven.

Preheat to 350°F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Place butter and chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on medium-high power until almost completely melted, about 1 minute.  Whisk until smooth.  Add sugar and egg; whisking again until smooth, about 1 minute. Add flour, both extracts, and salt; stir just to blend.

Let batter stand 10 minutes.

Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing apart (12 per sheet - I got 10 per sheet). Spray sheet of plastic wrap lightly with nonstick spray. Place, sprayed side down, over cookies. Using fingers, press each mound into 21/2- to 2 3/4-inch round. Remove plastic wrap (I pressed mine down with my fingers - I was out of Pam - they probably didn't get as thin as they were supposed to).

Sprinkle pistachios over rounds. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until slightly darker at edges and firm in center, about 7 minutes.

Cool on sheet 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack; cool completely.