Chocolate meringues are gentle and ethereal, but indulgent and chocolatey. Dunk them in darkish chocolate for a wealthy and satisfying, but low-calorie deal with. My recipe walks you thru all of the steps and consists of loads of suggestions and tips for flawless outcomes.
Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Made with easy pantry staples and drenched in clean darkish chocolate for simply the correct quantity of indulgence, chocolate meringues are a deal with that’s each easy and beautiful. They’re additionally irresistible; It’s nearly inconceivable to eat only one!
When you’ve by no means made meringues earlier than, there’s a little bit of approach concerned for them come out excellent each time. Whereas not terribly tough, there’s a slight studying curve so I’ve included plenty of suggestions and tips and images beneath to not intimidate you, however to teach and hopefully keep away from any hiccups and wasted substances (you may also take a look at my fundamental meringue video, if a tutorial helps!).
Meringues aren’t solely tasty, they’re additionally an excellent intro for making meringue for different recipes, like angel meals cake, Swiss meringue buttercream, or the elusive French macaron.
Get to Know This Recipe
- Texture: Mild and ethereal with a crisp chunk. They will turn into chewy if uncovered to moisture, however I embrace a straightforward answer for that (learn on!).
- Style: Wealthy chocolate taste from the cookies themselves and that beautiful darkish chocolate coating.
- Method: Not the only of cookies, since we’re coping with egg whites right here; nevertheless, even freshmen could be profitable in the event that they observe my suggestions!
- Time: Meringues aren’t fast to make, however they’re well worth the wait (and so they’re a lot easier than their fussy cousin, the chocolate macaron)! This recipe takes an hour to bake after which wants to chill for an additional 1-2 hours. If you would like a sooner chocolate repair, strive my flourless chocolate cookies or double chocolate chip cookies as a substitute!
Components
Chocolate meringues require simply seven substances. As at all times, I’ll evaluate a number of of the necessary ones earlier than we get began!
- Egg whites. Separate your personal eggs (do NOT use carton egg whites, their success price is just too spotty) and be extraordinarily cautious to not get even a drop of yolk into the egg whites. Additionally, ensure you are including your egg whites right into a clear, dry, grease-free bowl.
- Cocoa powder. I exploit and advocate pure cocoa powder. Whereas Dutch course of cocoa will work right here, none of my style testers most popular the chocolate meringues made with Dutch cocoa to those made with pure. Whichever you employ, ensure you sift your cocoa powder earlier than including it. We would like a completely clean batter, however we additionally don’t need to over-mix by attempting to work out any cocoa powder lumps with a spatula.
- Cream of tartar. This stabilizes our egg whites. Whereas cream of tartar is typically skipped in meringue, I take into account it like “coaching wheels” for making a profitable meringue (and at all times embrace it when making macarons), so I like to recommend it.
- Sugar. Common granulated sugar works simply high-quality right here.
- Chocolate (for dipping!). I like to recommend semisweet or darkish chocolate melting wafers or couverture chocolate (which is what I used at this time). Chocolate chips will even work, however they don’t soften as properly, since they’re particularly designed to carry their form, and so they’re extra prone to streak after the chocolate has cooled.
SAM’S TIP: When you don’t need to waste the spare egg yolks, save them to make lemon bars or lemon crumb bars, banana pudding, a lemon tart, or my german chocolate cake.
Keep in mind, that is simply an summary of the substances I used and why. For the complete recipe please scroll all the way down to the underside of the put up!
Methods to Make Chocolate Meringues
- Mix the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Do that in a fully grease and moisture free bowl (any little bit of moisture or grease can wreck your meringues!). Beat on low velocity till mixed and foamy.
- Step by step add the sugar! Simply add one tablespoon at a time whereas working your mixer on excessive velocity. Give every tablespoon a little bit of time to start to dissolve earlier than including extra; I normally wait about 15 seconds after every addition.
- Maintain beating till you attain stiff peaks. This batter will take no less than a number of minutes to realize stiff peaks. It’ll improve in quantity and be very thick and shiny when it’s prepared. “Stiff peaks” merely signifies that the height that kinds once you raise the beaters from the combination holds its form — it stays stiff and doesn’t fold over or dissolve again in on itself.
SAM’S TIP: When you hit stiff peaks, cease! Over-mixing the batter is simply as dangerous as not beating it sufficient and may trigger the meringue to interrupt down.
- Fold within the vanilla and cocoa powder. Use a spatula at this level (as a substitute of an electrical mixer) and fold gently till fully mixed, however don’t over-mix. The batter will deflate barely throughout this course of, and that’s okay. Portion your batter right into a piping bag (if desired, you could possibly simply do dollops with a spoon. It’s not as fairly however nonetheless works!).
- Pipe or dollop batter onto parchment lined baking sheets. The cookies received’t unfold, so ensure you pipe them shut collectively in an effort to match all of them on the identical tray. Bake for an hour, then flip off the oven. Let the cookies cool fully earlier than dunking in melted chocolate.
SAM’S TIP: When you’ve by no means melted chocolate earlier than, take a look at my put up on find out how to soften chocolate chips within the microwave. This may enable you to keep away from among the frequent pitfalls that result in seized (grainy!) chocolate.
Often Requested Questions
There are such a lot of components that may have an effect on meringue and stop it from reaching stiff peaks. These embrace humidity (goal for a low humidity day), sort of egg whites (by no means use carton egg whites, they don’t at all times work!), cleanliness of the bowl and beaters (they should be completely dry and grease-free), cream of tartar (higher to not skip it!), and time (it could take some time to achieve stiff peaks).
Whereas correctly ready, baked, and saved, chocolate meringues ought to keep their crispness. Moisture/humidity does have the potential to make them chewy although.
The great factor is, chewy meringues can be salvaged, so long as you haven’t dipped them in chocolate! due to this, I like to recommend ready to dip them till the day you intend on serving them if you’re involved about chewiness.
To make them crispy once more, return your meringues to a 225F oven for 10-20 minutes. Enable them to chill within the oven for an additional hour, and then dip them in chocolate.
Let your chocolate meringues cool fully (and permit the chocolate to fully set after dipping) after which retailer in an hermetic container away from any moisture or warmth. They don’t must be refrigerated.
Be at liberty to get inventive along with your ornament. You could possibly at all times sprinkle some crushed peppermint candies over the melted chocolate for a chocolate peppermint twist!
Take pleasure in!
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Chocolate Meringues
Crisp chocolate meringues made with simply 6 substances! Dunk them in darkish chocolate for a wealthy and satisfying deal with!
Servings: 30 cookies
Energy: 47kcal
Forestall your display from going darkish
Directions
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Preheat oven to 225F (105C) and line a big baking sheet with parchment paper. Put aside.
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In a clear, dry giant mixing bowl (use the bowl of a stand mixer you probably have one), mix the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt and use the whisk attachment of your stand mixer or an electrical mixer to stir on medium-low velocity till foamy (about 30-60 seconds).
4 giant egg whites, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ⅛ teaspoon desk salt
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Enhance mixer velocity to excessive and steadily add sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring for about 20 seconds after every addition.
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
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Proceed to stir on excessive velocity till meringue is thick, shiny, and has elevated considerably in quantity and you’ve got reached stiff peaks. Sugar must also have dissolved (take a look at this by rubbing a small little bit of the combination between your fingers, if it feels gritty, the sugar is not dissolved).
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Add vanilla extract and cocoa powder and, utilizing a spatula, gently fold into the meringue till effectively included and batter is uniform.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅓ cup (35 g) pure cocoa powder
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Match a big disposable piping bag with a big tip (I used an Ateco 846 tip and piped into 1 ½” (4cm) swirls) and switch meringue into ready piping bag and pipe onto ready cookie sheet. The meringue cookies will not unfold and so could be piped shut collectively, and you’ll want to bake all the cookies on the identical time, so ensure you depart sufficient area.
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Switch to middle rack of 225F (105C) oven and bake for 1 hour, then flip off the oven however don’t open the oven door. Depart the oven door closed and permit cookies to chill fully within the oven (1-2 hours) earlier than eradicating.
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As soon as cookies have cooled fully, place chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl and soften in 20-second intervals (stirring effectively in between) till chocolate is totally melted.
1 cup (170 g) semisweet or darkish chocolate chips or couverture chocolate
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As soon as chocolate has melted, dip meringues midway into chocolate, take away, and return to a wax paper lined baking sheet for chocolate to harden earlier than having fun with.
Notes
Storing
Meringue cookies must be crisp and could be saved in an hermetic container in a cool dry place (make sure that to chill fully earlier than storing). Place parchment or wax paper between layers to stop sticking. Chocolate meringues could also be saved for as much as 1 week, but when uncovered to warmth/humidity or moisture they are going to lose their crispness.
Vitamin
Serving: 1chocolate meringue cookie | Energy: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fats: 1g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary info relies on third-party calculations and must be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will fluctuate based mostly upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.
I initially revealed this recipe over on The Recipe Critic in December of 2017. I’ve since up to date the images and put up right here to incorporate extra useful info and particulars.
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