Hi everyone – Eva from Eva Bakes here to again to share a fun recipe with you today!
Every few months I have to do a Google search to find ideas on how to use up egg whites. For whatever reason, the recipes I choose always yield leftover egg whites. I’ve used the leftovers for frosting, bread, cake and other sweet treats. I thought that it was finally time to make some cookies. But not just any cookies. Chocolate chip meringues.
Regular old meringues are just that – boring. Sure, they are crispy on the outside yet soft and super airy on the inside. But I didn’t want plain old meringues. Being a chocolate lover, I had to find a way to chocolate-tize them (I totally just made that word up, by the way). I chopped up some dark chocolate and folded it into the meringues for a subtle chocolate kick.
These chocolate chip meringues were just perfect. I got a nice crunch when I bit into the meringue and saw all the beautiful air pockets inside. It was like looking into a crevasse – lots of little nooks and crannies everywhere. The cookie was impossibly light, yet the whole thing melted in my mouth after I took a bite. The bits of chocolate interspersed throughout were an awesome addition too.
I was a good friend and gifted some to friends. I could have easily eaten all of the meringues but decided not to hoard the cookies this time. That doesn’t mean I will share the next batch of sweets though.
- 5 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 and ¾ cups granulated sugar
- About 7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped finely
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer), whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they get frothy. Then add the cream of tartar and salt until they are fully incorporated.
- Turn the mixer up a notch and slowly stream in the sugar. Once all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer to the highest setting and let it whisk. You'll want the mixer to go for at least 4-5 minutes. Turn the mixer off and check to see if your meringue has achieved stiff peaks (the egg whites will stand up straight and not move). If not, keep whipping in 30 second intervals on the highest speed.
- Once you've achieve stiff peaks, turn the mixer off. Gently fold in the chopped chocolate into the meringue and be sure not to deflate the egg whites.
- Using a large spoon or a pastry bag (or zip-top bag), dollop the meringue onto your prepared baking sheets. Make sure you space them at least an inch apart on the baking pan.
- Bake in your preheated oven for about 2 hours (I baked for 90 minutes). Allow the meringues to cool completely before eating or storing. Meringues will get soggy if exposed to moisture, so you will not want to store these in an airtight container. If using a lidded container, crack the lid open a bit when storing. Meringues are best served the day they are made and will start to get slightly soggy after each day.
Source: Adapted from Serious Eats