Chocolate Swirled Meringues
Day 4 and it's high time for a sensible treat, don't you think? But that doesn't have to mean boring or non-chocolate, no siree! These Chocolate Swirled Meringues are bursting with chocolate satisfaction but light and low-fat at the same time. Crisp and chewy with shards of chocolate running throughout them, they really hit the "bliss point" as my daughter would say, but are relatively guilt-free!! The first week of January is definitely looking better, no?
And speaking of looks, what is it about swirled food that is so appealing? That knowledge that you're getting the best of both worlds in one bite?!! It's all part of the mystery of life, I guess!! One thing that's not mysterious though is how easily these come together. Mostly it's just egg whites, sugar, chocolate and some other pantry staples, so you can kinda make them whenever the urge strikes!
If you normally have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude towards meringues, these will make you rethink the whole genre! They're not only bold in the flavor department but a little bit artistic too! That wintry swirly thing is so appropriately seasonal and so much fun too. Make them today and you'll see what I mean.
Chocolate Swirled Meringues
Makes about 2 dozen large cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Bake Time: 40-50 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
The Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 275ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place the egg whites in the large bowl of the mixer. If you have a stand mixer, attach the whip and beat the whites on high speed for several minutes, until there are stiff peaks. If you only have a handheld mixer, you may need to beat the whites for a couple of minutes longer.
3. When whites are stiff, lower the speed and gradually beat in both the sugars and then the vanilla and vinegar. Then turn the mixer up high again and beat until the meringue looks stiff and shiny and you don't feel any sugar when you rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
4. Drizzle about half the melted chocolate on top of mixture and use two large spoons to scoop out large mounds of swirled meringue and push them onto the baking sheets. (The mixture will be sticky) Don't mix the chocolate in--you want that swirled effect. When a lot of the chocolate is gone, drizzle over the rest of the melted chocolate onto the remaining meringue in the bowl and continue to use the spoons to scoop cookies onto the baking sheets.
5. Bake 2 trays at a time for 40-50 minutes or until the meringues peel off easily from the parchment. Reverse the trays back to front and top to bottom, halfway through the baking process to ensure even baking. Transfer the meringues to wire racks to cool completely. These are best on the day you make them but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Bakers Royale. I tinkered around with the process a bit.
