Wow…I’m a bad blogger. You win a blog award and all of a sudden ya stop bloggin’. So to make up for it, I’m posting a delicious little recipe from Everyday Food (yes I’m trying to win you back with food).
While I was standing in line at the grocers I came across a recipe for Mocha Chip Meringues and decided it looked easy enough for me to give them a try.
Since my trip to Amsterdam last summer, I had a container of Dutch cocoa powder that I’ve been hoarding (this along with the hopjes candies that I only give to “special” people). The Dutch are infamous for their cocoa and when the main flavour of a dish or dessert is cocoa, you need to use the best quality of that ingredient. I really agonized over opening that container but it had to be done. To be honest, I didn’t actually buy it for the cocoa that was inside but rather for the packaging on the outside.
One important thing that didn’t go quite right with this recipe: I didn’t beat the egg whites until they had stiff peaks. I’m a little impatient that way. This is apparently an important step and resulted in the mound shaped meringues you see in the photo instead of the cutesy little “martha-like” meringues with a perfect pointy peak that were in the magazine.
But once they cooled I gave one a try and they were yummy. Crispy on the outside, chocolatey (and still crispy) on the inside. They were light and tasted great with a glass of milk. Worth another try at whippin that meringue into shape to get a better result.
Mocha-Chip Meringues
adapted from Everyday Food
3/4 cup sugar (I used organic sugar)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I used fresh ground espresso instead)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 300 with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch and set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until frothy. Beating constantly, add sugar/cornstarch mix one tablespoon at a time and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6-8 minutes. Add espresso powder and cocoa and beat until well blended. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
Drop the batter by level tablespoons onto the baking sheets about an inch apart. (They expand while baking.) Bake until crisp, about 40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool completely on sheets, about 20 minutes.Makes 48.
Using a tablespoon didn’t allow for them all to be the same size. Instead I swtiched to a piping bag to allow for, what I thought would be, more control which didn’t really work either. I’m sure you could probably use some fancy kitchen tool if you’re all about uniformity. Which I realize, as I’m writing this…I am. Getting the egg whites stiff probably would have helped too.
