Chocolate Chip–Hazelnut Meringues
We think the chocolate and hazelnut combination creates a perfectly balanced meringue cookie, but
feel free to play around with the ratio of chips to nuts, depending on your audience. These light and airy
meringues are a great vehicle for many other flavor combinations, so you can experiment with different
ingredients to suit your taste. Some options include: pumpkin pie spices with coarsely chopped pumpkin
seeds; roughly chopped pistachios, dried cherries, and a pinch of ground cinnamon; chopped walnuts
and dry unsweetened coconut with lime zest. The meringues are best baked on low humidity days or
they will be gummy.
makes about 30 cookies
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If
using organic sugar, pulse-chop the sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal
blade for 8 to 10 seconds to get the finer texture you need for this recipe.
In a medium skillet, toast the hazelnuts over medium heat, stirring often,
until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and chop the nuts
roughly.
Using a standing mixer and a very clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft
peaks. Add the vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt. Gradually add the sugar,
beating continuously, until the whites form stiff, glossy peaks. (note: For
the most stable foam, start beating the egg whites slowly and gradually increase the speed.
When you need to check the consistency, turn the mixer off quickly and turn it back to speed
quickly to minimize any deflating.) Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Scoop up a heaping teaspoon of the mixture and, with a second spoon,
push gently onto the baking sheet. With the back of the spoon, press down
lightly on the top of the meringue; as you lift the spoon away a soft peak
will form. Repeat with the remaining meringue mixture. Bake until the
meringues are dry on the edges but still soft in the center, about 25 minutes.
(If you prefer a drier, harder meringue, continue baking 5 to 10 minutes
more.) The meringues shouldn’t brown; watch them carefully. Allow to cool
and store in an airtight container.
3⁄4 cup sugar
2⁄3 cup blanched hazelnuts
2 extra-large egg whites, at room
temperature
1⁄4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1⁄8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
2⁄3 cup bittersweet or semisweet
chocolate chips
desserts
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