These mocha meringues are a delicious spin on a classic treat! The meringues are light, airy, and with the perfect amount of chew– no dry and dusty meringues here! Did I mention they’re dipped in dark chocolate too? If you’re doing some weekend baking, these mocha meringues should be on the top of your list!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What’s a meringue?
A: A meringue can be many different things (think lemon-meringue pie, french macarons, etc.). However, in this case they’re small cookies that are airy, slightly crisp on the outside, and chewy on the inside.
Q: What is cream of tartar?
A: Cream of tartar is an ingredient commonly used when egg whites are involved because it helps stabilize the meringue and prevent it from deflating or becoming cracked.
Q: Why do the meringues cook at such a low temperature?
A: Meringues are really dried more than they are cooked– they’re heated just high enough to make the egg whites safe to consume and pull any moisture out of the cookie.
Q: Why do you have to add the sugar slowly?
A: If you add the sugar too quickly, it will weigh the egg whites down and they won’t incorporate as much air.
The Recipe
Mocha Meringues
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ – 1 tsp instant espresso powder (see notes)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Dark chocolate melting wafers
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until they become foamy– about 1 minute.
- Once foamy, add the cream of tartar and salt. Turn the speed to high (but not the highest setting– use #8 on a Kitchenaid mixer) and continue to whip the egg whites.
- Slowly add in the granulated sugar. Don’t rush– and don’t add more than 1 tbsp at a time or you’ll weigh down the egg whites.
- Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, continue to whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks. A soft peak will fold over onto itself (check out photos of soft/stiff peaks here).
- Add the instant espresso powder and continue mixing on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form. Don’t overwhip the meringues or they’ll turn out dry and crumbly as opposed to light and chewy.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe meringues of your desired size. I did a mixture of 1-inch stars and 1.5-inch circles but it is completely up to you! Have fun with it (and if they don’t turn out how you like, just scrape the meringue back into the bag and pipe it again).
- Bake for 90 minutes, switching the trays half way through if you have them on different racks (ie: place the top rack on the bottom and the bottom on the top).
- Once 90 minutes has passed, turn the oven off and allow the meringues to sit in the oven an additional two hours. This will help develop the soft and chewy texture!
- Follow the directions on the package of your melting chocolate wafers. Most will suggest that you melt them in a bowl for 30 seconds, stir, and then another 30 seconds.
- Remove the meringues from the oven and dip/drizzle them with chocolate. Place the meringue back onto the parchment paper and let them sit until the chocolate has hardened.
- Store in an airtight container and enjoy within two days.
Notes
