Chocolate Meringue Cookies Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use fresh or old eggs for meringue? ›

Thanks to the modern mixer, meringue making is a lot easier and older eggs aren't necessary. In fact, older eggs create a less stable foam because the liquid drains more easily from the bubbles. As a general rule of thumb, if stability is more important than volume, use fresher eggs.

Chewy meringues are the result of two possible situations, under-baking and humidity. If they are under-baked they might always be a little chewy. For humidity, you can try popping the meringues back into the oven on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 200°F for 10 minutes to try crisping them up a bit.

Cream of tartar is an added safeguard; it gives more stability to that foam structure, therefore setting up your meringue for success. Cream of tartar helps these Cranberry-Lime Swirled Meringues retain their cloud-like texture.

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

If your whipped egg whites become curdled and dry, they have gone too far. After excessive whipping, the proteins can get so close to each other, they essentially suffocate and expel the water contained within their circle, causing your foam to separate.

Eggs whipped at room temperature will get the same result. We recommend using fresh, cold egg whites for meringues. They make a foam that is easier to work with, and the baked meringues have a more delicate and uniform texture.

You must be careful when separating eggs. While getting some egg whites with your yolks shouldn't impact your recipe too severely, getting egg yolks in egg whites can ruin your delicate French macarons and smooth meringues because the fat from the yolk minimizes the egg white's ability to fluff into stiff peaks.

You can't overbeat meringue - It's true! You can't ruin it by mixing too much, so once all of the sugar is added, be sure that your meringue is glossy and that you have super firm, stiff peaks when you remove the beater from the mixer. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if it appears too soft.

Place on the center rack to bake at 200 for about an hour then turn the oven off and keep closed for an additional 1-2 hours. The meringue cookies are done when they're are dried throughout. You'll be able to lift them off the baking sheet and they will feel very light and dry.

It doesn't have to be perfect, but if there are too many undissolved pieces of sugar, it means it's not fully dissolved into the protein layer of the egg whites. When this happens, your meringues won't come out crisp and they might seep liquid during baking as the sugar melts out of the meringue.

Can you use boxed egg whites for meringue? ›

Did you know you can buy egg whites in a carton? When making anything egg white-based, like meringue or pavolva, macarons, royal icing, or Swiss meringue buttercream it is a fabulous alternative to fresh eggs especially when using them in large quantities.

Recipe Notes

If you want, you can add some crème of tartar (an acidic powder) to the meringue to stabilize the mixture. Add icing sugar instead of caster sugar as it dissolves quickly and it will make the process a little easier. Incorporate the sugar slowly as you beat it through the meringue.

Do not use parchment paper or a greased and floured baking sheet– the meringue will often stick to them.

After the cream of tartar is added increase the mixer speed to medium. When you start to see tracks form you can start adding your sugar - a little bit at a time. Once all the sugar is added increase the mixer speed to high. Keep beating until stiff peaks form.

Perfect peaks

If the peaks are too soft when you add sugar, the meringue mixture risks being sloppy and will never thicken. A word of warning though: if you whisk past the stiff peak stage, the proteins will start to break up, making a watery mess that can't be saved.

Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy–about one minute. Next, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 1 to 3 minutes until soft peaks form and the whites are shiny. Don't rush this step.