Chewy Chocolate Meringue Cookies

I found this recipe in Parade Magazine.  It sounded good, so I decided to try it.  I modified it to fit what I happened to have in my pantry.

 

Chewy Chocolate Meringue Cookies

4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
12 oz. baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus walnut halves for garnish
1/3 cup chopped Craisins

 

I had some semisweet, unsweetened and bittersweet chocolate left over from other baking projects.  I didn't have quite the 12 ounces needed, so I added some dark chocolate chips to make up the difference.  Once melted and swirled together it made a slightly dark chocolate addition to the cookies.  Use dark or semisweet chocolate, depending on your preference.

 

Melt the chocolate first and then get everything else ready so that it can cool sufficiently to be added to the egg whites.

 

Preheat the oven to 325°.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

 

Place the egg whites, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. 

 

Whisk until the mixture becomes foamy and gradually add the sugar while still beating.  Beat until stiff peaks form.

 

If the chocolate has cooled, you can fold it, the chopped nuts and Craisins, gently into the egg mixture. 

 

When the chocolate has been incorporated and there are no more swirls of white, scrape half the mixture into a large Ziploc bag with the end snipped off. ( I have a whole box full of Wilton tips and pastry bags and never once thought to use it.  But feel free to do that with a medium round tip.)

Pipe 2 inch cookies onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Carefully fold down and refill the Ziploc bag with the remaining batter and pipe on to the prepared sheets.  You can use a clean bag if you don't want to get cookie goop on your hands..

 

Top the cookies with walnut halves and press slightly.  I didn't buy the pricey walnut halves and just  used bigger pieces from my giant bag of walnuts.  I left some NAKED. :-O

Bake for 15 minutes or until the outside it set and dry.  Cool on the pans and then they can be peeled off the parchment to eat or store in an airtight container.

 

These cookies were chewy and delicious and if you didn't know it, it would be hard to tell that they had fruit in them.  I liked the ones with a nut on top and without, so I guess you can decide how to dress up these cookies! 

You might even dust the nutless ones with powdered sugar just before serving.  If you want to be FANCY!