This week's Tuesdays with Dorie was chosen by Mike of Ugly Food for an Ugly Dude: cocoa almond merginues. Heat and humidity are the enemy of meringues so this late summer weather wasn't ideal timing for the recipe. That said, my freezer is perpetually overflowing with leftover egg whites (thanks to lots of ice cream making) and I was grateful for an opportunity to put some to good use, so I cranked the a/c, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.
Because the recipe only called for a few ingredients, I didn't scale back at all. In fact, I didn't deviate from Dorie's instructions one bit. You start with egg whites, which are beaten (with a little sugar) until they form stiff, glossy peaks, and then gently fold in a mixture of cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, and finely chopped almonds and chocolate. The key is to get these ingredients incorporated without deflating the egg whites too much. Meringues can be really pretty if piped, but Dorie's method was more rustic, calling for just spooning them onto the baking sheets. The cookies are baked briefly in a moderate oven, then the heat is reduced and they spend another hour finishing up. I did a little experiment, baking one sheet of my meringues on parchment and the other on a Silpat, to see if there would be any differences, but the results were nearly identical. Dorie's yield (30 cookies) did seem low to me. I made well over 40 and the last 10 or 12 were much bigger than she instructed.
I've made meringues before, and they were ok, but nothing I could ever see myself craving. Something about them was just too plain for me. The addition of the cocoa powder and chopped chocolate in this recipe, however, really kicked things up a notch - these were so flavorful! The outer shell was crisp and fragile, and when you bit into the cookie a chewy, chocolatey interior was revealed. Plus, since they're mostly egg whites, it was easy to justify eating more than one. I shared them with my mom but if I hadn't, I don't think they would have lasted long around here.
Many thanks to Mike for hosting this week! He shared the recipe on his blog, or you can find it on page 155 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.
19 comments:
I've never made meringues before. These look fabulous!
I have never made them before, but seeing the inside of the cookie makes me want to get into the kitchen ASAP! Looks delicious.
Picture perfect as always, Tracey. I cheated and piped mine, but whatever the case, I'm glad I made them and now have lots and lots of not-so-fattening cookies to snack on.
I loved these: light, crisp while a bit chewy, and the chocoate flavor was so good! And yes, they are "healthy" so I can eat more of them.
WOw yummy!!!! lovely click!!!! mouth watery recipe!!!!
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This is such a cool recipe! I've never made these before, and they're all over Europe. I need to give them a try!
I have been craving meringues lately, and I go to the store to see any, and every time I am dissapointed. I made meringues once, and they flopped, so I'm afraid to try again, but yours look really yummy! :)
As I am reading this, Im eating a meringue, but from Trader Joe's. Im eating it thinking "Why don't I eat these more often?" I NEVER EVER crave meringues either, until like 2 days ago. And NOW, seeing chocolate almond meringues, no brainer, making them ASAP (well, as soon as the A/C kicks in).
Your meringues look beautiful Tracey! Mine look slightly like meatballs--but they tasted yummy. Have a great week.
I didnt know you cansave the egg whites in the freezer! OMG! That will help me a LOT!
the inside of meringues looks heavenly in pictures. lovely!
Great job, love the inside shot of these, so mysterious!
These meringues look delicious! I love cookies and meringues can be such a fun variation when they are flavorful like these. Im tempted to hop into my kitchen and try a batch now. Thanks for sharing!
I debated about using parchment vs. a Silpat but didn't think of trying both. Oh well, parchment worked great. Yours look really good!
These look absolutely lovely!
Chocolate almond meringues sound really yummy! My very first blog post was meringues and my first time making them too. My hubby absolutely adores them - vanilla only :( But I have the hardest time making them and keeping them crisp. Even though its not overly humid in Southern California, there's just enough to make these difficult to keep. Just means we have to eat them up quickly! Your meringues look great!
Gorgoise! love the shape of your meringues.
These were good, weren't they. Definitely it was the coco and chocolate. Loved the texture inside and outt.
perfect timing! I was just thinking about making meringues for a friend of mine!
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