Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Meringues
I kind of neglected to mention that when I made those strawberry meringues a little while ago, I also made espresso meringues.
And that (to my surprise) I liked them even better than the strawberry meringues!
I thought maybe it was just me so I gave some to a friend who isn’t really a big fan of meringues. She couldn’t stop eating them either, which just proves that they’re amazing. I miss them already – because I ate them all.
I’ve mentioned it before, but meringues are very easy to make. You just need to whip some egg whites to stiff peaks (with a mixer, hopefully, or your arm might fall off) and add some flavoring. Then you dollop them on a baking sheet or pipe them into any shape you want, and bake until dry. That’s it!
OR… you could then dip them in melted chocolate, because coffee and chocolate pair very, very well together. The espresso somehow makes the chocolate taste more chocolate-y. Each bite of these chocolate-dipped meringues taste a lot like a sip of the foamy mocha lattes I practically lived on in college. Coffee-lovers are sure to be delighted by them!
Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Merginues
Adapted from Real Simple
Makes about 40 quarter-sized cookies
As with any meringue, it’s imperative that you not have any egg yolk in your whites or they will never reach stiff peaks. I couldn’t find espresso powder at my local grocery store, but I did find some at Target. Start checking your meringues after 1 hour of baking. The goal is for them to dry and lift easily from the pan without browning. Actual cooking time can vary based on piping size and humidity.
Ingredients
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled to room temperature
Directions
Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet or two with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, vanilla, espresso powder, salt, and cream of tartar on medium high until soft peaks form. While beating, sprinkle in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until all is incorporated. Increase speed to high and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Pipe or dollop meringue onto prepared baking sheets. Bake at 200°F for about 2 hours, or until meringues are dry to the touch and lift off the pan easily. Cool meringues completely on the counter (or, if humid, turn oven off and cool for 2 hours in the OFF oven.) Dip bottoms in melted chocolate and place on parchment, wax paper, or Silpats to dry.
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Chocolate & Espresso – YUM:) Thanks for sharing – Have a Great One!
Oh wow! Those look outstanding!
WOW It is delicius. Thank you for sharing. :)
Oh.my.word! These look so delicious than I’m just going to have to make them pronto! Gorgeous photos, too, by the way – mouthwatering. ;)
Wow, these look amazing. Gosh- I wish I had one right this minute….mmmm. Going to try these soon!
I’ve tried making meringue but always fail miserably! I blame my oven just to make me feel better… This recipe is amazing, I can’t wait to try it!
These look beautiful, such a cute idea.
They look fantastic. I love meringues but never tried dipping them in chocolate. Glad that I chanced upon your blog:-)
Your meringues are just beautiful!
I’ve never made meringues before but that because I’ve never see a recipe that made me want to make some. You just made me want to :-P
These are so pretty with their chocolate dipped bottoms! I love chocolate with espresso. :)
I’m not usually a huge meringue fan either, but with the addition of chocolate I’m already 47% more interested than I would be otherwise. And I do love the combination of chocolate and coffee–maybe these are the meringues to change my mind!
Oh man, no you didn’t just do this to me! I must try these! I’m a huge fan of meringue cookies – I make them often and made some recently for Valentine’s Day on my food blog, http://www.reelflavor.com. Meringue cookies are always great, since I cook gluten free. I love you’re idea of dipping them into chocolate. I will have to try that! Thanks so much and keep up the good work!
Sylvia
http://www.reelflavor.com
I recently made strawberry chocolate-dipped meringues too! http://cravingchronicles.com/2013/02/12/chocolate-dipped-strawberry-meringue-roses/for your gluten-free, dye-free pleasure :)
wow…stunning…
Reblogged this on cerulean doctor and commented:
drooling so bad……