Chocolate Treats

Chewy Chocolate Meringues

(adapted from Completely Delicious)

There's a bandit in my house. Yes, a bandit. Any time there is chocolate in the house, it disappears! Chocolate chips in the cupboard? Gone. Chocolate candies in the secret drawer? Devoured. Brownies? Puh-lease. They don't even make it through the day.

Now I know what you're thinking, but I swear I'm not the culprit! (Not the only one, anyway.) The guilty party may be a certain someone we call DAD. 

Dad is a purist, though, and he doesn't want anybody messing up his chocolate treats with words like "healthy", but even he liked these chewy chocolate meringues! They're chocolatey and the inside has a satisfying chewy texture and at only about 50 calories per meringue, you'd have to be crazy to say no to them. 

I'm not a big fan of bittersweet chocolate, so I went with semisweet. Use whatever you prefer! I also made a half recipe. They don't stay fresh long and 4 dozen just seemed overindulgent, even if they are diet-friendly. 

Chewy Chocolate Meringues

Recipe...

• 1/2 cup egg whites, (about 3 or 4 eggs)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1) Preheat over to 350 ℉. Line 3 sheet pans with parchment paper or silpats. Fill a saucepan with about 1" water and bring to a simmer.

2) In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Set bowl on top of saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk often until sugar is dissolved. (Carefully test with your fingers to make sure you can't feel any sugar granules.)

3) Return the bowl to the stand mixer and beat on high with the whisk attachment until meringue is stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes. Sift cocoa powder over the meringue, add chopped chocolate, and gently fold together with a spatula until incorporated.

4) Scoop rounded tablespoons of meringue onto the prepared sheet pans, about 2" apart. Bake 2 sheets at a time for about 8 minutes. Rotate pans and bake for an additional 8 minutes, until meringues are puffed and cracked. Let cool before devouring... or don't.