Chocolate meringues are a tasty variation on classic meringues. I usually prepare meringues with the egg whites left over from making shortcrust pastry used for pies.
Don’t forget to read the recipe
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 115.88 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 28.52 (g) of which sugars 25.06 (g)
- Proteins 2.56 (g)
- Fat 0.94 (g) of which saturated 0.50 (g)of which unsaturated 0.31 (g)
- Fibers 2.31 (g)
- Sodium 120.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 40 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Chocolate meringues are a delightful variation on classic meringues. Using chocolate in the batter also makes baking easier, as you don’t have to worry about the meringue turning yellow.
- 2 egg whites (50 g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Piping bag
Procedure
Place the egg whites in a thoroughly degreased bowl; to beat them to stiff peaks, there should be no traces of yolk or fat. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and start whipping with the whisk.
When the egg whites start to turn white, add the sugar. I now use a technique similar to making mayonnaise: with one hand, I hold the whisk and mix the batter while continuously adding sugar with the other hand.
In this way, you will get a white, fluffy, and frothy mixture. The batter is ready when the egg whites are firm and the sugar has blended with the egg whites.
Add the unsweetened cocoa powder. I like my meringues to have a light cocoa flavor, but if you prefer a more intense taste, you can add 3-4 tablespoons of cocoa.
Remember that cocoa is bitter, so the final result will be less sweet than classic meringues.
Put the mixture into a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Draw circles and create the classic meringue shape. Alternatively, you can also make circular shapes like cookies.
The meringues should be made on parchment paper and placed on a baking tray. Bake the tray in a static oven at 284°F (140°C) for 40-45 minutes.
Once baking is complete, leave the meringues in the oven with the door slightly ajar. This step allows them to dry out and removes the moisture created in the oven. I make them in the evening and then leave them to dry overnight until morning.
The baking time varies greatly with size. I make them round with about 1 inch (2-3 cm) in diameter. If you make them larger, increase the baking time, or you’ll have a soft and sticky center.
Your chocolate meringues are ready!
Plating Tips:
Once prepared, you can store them in a cookie tin and serve them in place of cookies to your guests or to accompany coffee after meals. Since the preparation of the batter is the same as classic meringues, I often divide the batter in half, leaving one half white and completing the other with the recipe you’ve just seen. This way, in the same batch, I have both flavors!
How to Pair Chocolate Meringues:
You can pair these sweets with dry or fortified wines like Passito or Marsala. If you want to go classic, you can also use coffee liqueurs, whiskey, or various alcoholic creams.
