Chocolate Almond Meringues
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One of my very favorite Christmas cookies is a meringue – the Forgotten Meringue, a vanilla meringue with chocolate chips – and I was excited to try another recipe out this Christmas. I figured I really couldn’t go wrong with chocolate, almonds, and a Dorie Greenspan recipe.
Meringues are the perfect holiday cookie, not just because they’re deliciously light and airy, but because they are healthy! Ok, they’re not healthy…but compared to most cookies they are. They’re a welcome departure from all the rich butter-laden cookies that abound this time of year. They’re low in cholesterol (many meringue recipes are actually cholesterol free), low in fat, and gluten free. My diabetic friend has even informed me that they’re low carb and a great diabetic option. So lighten up your cookie spread a little with some meringues this Christmas! It’ll make you feel better when you realize you’ve had eight cookies, but half of them were meringues, which barely count, right?
These meringues are flavored with ground almonds and cocoa powder and get some extra chocolate oomph from some finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. I like these cookies – really I do, I like them a lot – but I don’t love them in the same way that I love the Forgotten Meringues. In truth, that may be due to sentimentality in large part. We’ve made the Forgotten Meringues for every Christmas that I can remember, and they’ve simply become a part of Christmas for me. But if you like chocolate and you like meringues (and how could you not?), you’re going to love these.
Chocolate Almond Meringues
From Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours
New to making meringues? Or not so new to them, but still feeling intimidated? Check out my tips for the perfect meringue.
Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 1/3 cup finely ground almonds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Sift confectioners' sugar, ground almonds and cocoa. Set aside dry ingredients.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt until the whites are opaque. Increase to medium-high speed and continue to whip while adding the granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue whipping until the whites are shiny and hold a stiff peak. Beat in vanilla extract.
- Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in the dry ingredients with a large rubber spatula. The whites will deflate a little bit, but fold quickly and gently to minimize the deflation.
- Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheets spacing them about 2 inches apart. Dust the tops lightly with confectioners' sugar.
- Bake at 300F for 10 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 200F and bake for 1 hour more. Remove from oven and allow meringues to cool completely on the baking sheet. Carefully peel meringues off the parchment. If desired, dust with a little more confectioners' sugar before serving.