Mar

27

2012

Fudgy Double Chocolate Meringues (Gluten Free)

Cookies / Desserts / Holidays  Posted by / 36 comments
double-chocolate-meringues

No flour, no butter and yet these are delicious chocolate cookies — delicate and crisp on the exterior and rich and fudgy on the interior. The recipe is adapted from Alice Medrich’s cookie book, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy, and they’re hands down the best chocolate meringues I’ve ever tried. Unlike most similar recipes, which call for cocoa powder and melted chocolate, Medrich’s version uses only melted chocolate, which results in intensely chocolate, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. They also happen to be gluten free — no strange substitutions, just naturally that way.

It’s important to use a good quality chocolate in these cookies because, with so few ingredients, the flavor of the chocolate really shines through. I like Ghirardelli. (If you are following a gluten free diet, be sure your chocolate is gluten free.)

Begin by finely chopping the chocolate.

Gently melt it in the microwave by blasting in 20-second intervals, stirring in between. This method keeps the chocolate from scorching.

Next, separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. My method is to crack the egg in half, and then pour the egg from one broken shell into the other, letting the white fall into the bowl below while keeping the yolk intact in the shells as I pour. Be sure that not even a trace of egg yolk gets into the egg whites, as even a tiny bit of fat will prevent them from stiffening. (Additionally, be sure your bowl and beaters are squeaky clean, and avoid plastic bowls which always hold a trace of residue.) Discard the yolks or save for something else.

Combine the egg whites with salt, cream of tartar and vanilla and beat until soft peaks form.

Soft peaks will barely hold their shape (see below).

Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. As you can see below, stiff peaks hold their shape when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.

Add the melted chocolate and chocolate chips.

And gently fold…

Until the mixture is uniform in color.

Drop tablespoons of batter on parchment lined baking sheets.

And bake for 8-10 minutes, until the tops are crisp but the insides are gooey and soft when you press on them.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Alice Medrich’s Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy. My only changes were to add a pinch of salt and swap out the walnuts for milk chocolate chips to make them kid-friendly.

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Fudgy Double Chocolate Meringues

Serving Size: Makes about 32 cookies

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (best quality, such as Ghirardelli)
  • 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (best quality, such as Ghirardelli)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between each bout of heat, until almost melted. The chocolate will continue to melt as it sits. (This technique ensures the chocolate mixture will not get too hot and scorch.) Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, vanilla and salt until soft peaks form when you lift the beaters. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form when you lift the beaters. Pour the warm chocolate and chocolate chips into the bowl and fold with a spatula until the batter is uniform.
  4. Immediately drop tablespoons of batter about 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies look dry on the surface but are still very gooey inside when you press on them. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy on the same day or carefully wrap in an airtight container (they crumble easily).