Chewy Chocolate Meringues

It is 11-11-11, it's a gorgeous day, and I needed to bake something to take over for coffee with a friend this afternoon.  I had about 1 1/2 hours available and I took a peak at my "list of things I want to bake" and the item on the top was a recipe I'd saved from Bakerella's website some weeks ago.  I am a meringue lover - I'll eat it raw I love it so much.  So the Chewy Chocolate Meringues were what I decided upon.  They looked wonderful, and blessedly fast.  They are supposed to be cracked and crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Yummmmm.

I was intrigued because I usually have to leave meringues in my oven to cure - but these appeared to be fast bakers and I thought I could whip them up and out before having to get dressed and hit the road for Zumba.

First, I'll share the things that I did different and a few things that went wrong. 

I didn't take my laptop in the kitchen, nor print off the recipe.  I ran back and forth like an idiot, peeking at the recipe to make sure I was on point.  Uh, not advisable.

I didn't have chocolate nibs - so I decided to double the chocolate - and I decided I didn't have time to chop block chocolate, so I used Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips.  I almost always prefer milk chocolate to dark anyway.  I prayed that would not mess things up.

I re-read the recipe 3 times...and still missed the part that said "rotate and bake another 8-9 minutes".

It was a cold morning, no rain, so I didn't check the humidity here on the Texas Gulf Coast until AFTER I baked the cookies.  Whew...only 62%.  That'll do.  I don't usually make that mistake with meringues...I have ruined some lovely piped meringues on a 90% humidity day!  They literally wept that day.

I had to scramble upon realization that I had screwed up the baking time and needed to re-insert the tray I'd just removed, despite now having two trays already in the oven - I had to scurry and create another level with a cooling rack to get all 3 trays in my oven that only fits two trays.  Holy crap people.  I was red in the face, praying, and cursing all at the same time.

The scariest thing I did, however, was using a carton of pasteurized egg whites instead of fresh egg whites.  I was in a hurry, I'd read a recent blog that said they worked just fine, and I just decided I'd take the risk - it is, after all, 11/11/11, a supposedly good day!

All said, they still turned out okay!  Better than okay.  They look and taste exactly as I had hoped.  Chewy, yet fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and full of chocolaty deliciosity!  They looked like the pictures from Bakerella and the book, Home Baked Comfort...so I felt good about the whole thing!

 

Chewy Chocolate Meringues

(adapted from Salty Tart via Home Baked Comfort via Bakerella)

Click Here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup pasteurized egg whites (I used a local store brand - H.E.B.) or 1 cup of fresh egg whites if you prefer
2 cups granulated sugar
5 tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
8 oz Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate chips (orig recipe called for 4 oz. chopped semi-sweet chocolate and 4 oz. of chocolate nibs - I started with 4 oz. of chips then added another 4 oz.)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a very clean silicon baking sheet (Silpat).

• Measure out all of your ingredients.

• In the metal bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together egg whites and sugar by hand. Set over, but not touching, simmering water in a saucepan.

• Whisk constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and remove from heat. (I rubbed some between my fingers to make sure I didn’t feel any sugar granules.)

• Put the bowl onto your stand mixer with whisk attachment.  Beat the eggs on high until stiff and glossy.

• Sift cocoa over the meringue. (I forgot to sift - I just sprinkled it on - worked out okay because I had nice fresh cocoa with next to no lumps...whew!)  Fold into meringue with a spatula.

• Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Fold together with spatula until combined.  Fold, don't mix.

• Use a scoop to drop even amounts of batter onto prepared baking sheets about two inches apart.

• Bake for about 8-9 minutes. Rotate the pans and bake for another 8-9 minutes until the cookies are fluffy and full of cracks.

• Transfer the cookies, leaving them on the parchment paper or silpat, to wire racks to cool.

Meringues you don't have to worry about cracking...because they are supposed to be cracked...who wouldn't love that?  The insides are kind of gooey - and they taste delicious. 

My batch made 48 cookies.  The ones that I kept at 12 to a sheet seemed to be the best.  The trays that I had a bit more crowded were slower in getting "done".  Next time, I'm going to take the time to chop semi-sweet chocolate...the milk chocolate and the large amount of sugar together was a bit too sweet (I know, you can't believe I'm saying such a thing!).  I'm happy to add these to my meringue repertoire!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

SHARED WITH: