Dark Chocolate Meringue Drops

Rating: 3.62 stars
13 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 0
  • 4 star values: 10
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 2
  • 1 star values: 0

These meringue cookies have a puffy, fragile exterior and a moist, soft interior. They deliver an enticingly bold, knock-your-socks-off bittersweet chocolate experience. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2007

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Ingredients

Directions

  • Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and coat the paper with cooking spray.

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  • Coarsely chop 3 ounces of chocolate and place it in a small microwave-safe bowl. (Alternatively, see Tip.) Microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until mostly melted. Stir until the remaining chocolate melts completely.

  • Chop the remaining 2 ounces chocolate into pieces the size of mini chocolate chips. Combine in a small bowl with cocoa and cocoa nibs (if using).

  • Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, then at medium speed until soft peaks start to form. Immediately add about 2 tablespoons sugar; beat for 1 minute. Slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, add the remaining sugar, then vanilla, continuing to beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, opaque, glossy and thickened, about 2 minutes longer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, raise the speed to high, and beat for 30 seconds more. Lightly fold in the chocolate-cocoa mixture and the melted chocolate just until evenly incorporated and no streaks remain; do not overmix. Immediately drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

  • Bake the cookies, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, until just firm when gently pressed on top but still soft inside, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let stand for 1 to 2 minutes. Then slide the paper from the pans to a flat surface and let the cookies cool completely, about 15 minutes. Gently lift the cookies from the parchment paper using a wide-bladed spatula.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: These are best enjoyed fresh, but can be stored flat with wax paper between layers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. Thaw before serving.

Tip: If you add the optional cocoa nibs to the batter, the flavor-texture combination will be even more interesting and complex. Nibs, which are bits of roasted and hulled cocoa beans, are crunchy and have a pure (unsweetened) chocolate taste. Some brands of nibs are coarser than others. For these cookies, the nibs should be the size of finely chopped nuts. If necessary, simply chop them to obtain the right consistency.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Per Serving:
28 calories; 1.1 g total fat; 0.6 g saturated fat; 4 mg sodium. 14 mg potassium; 4.9 g carbohydrates; 0.4 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 0.5 g protein; 1 mg calcium; 2 mg magnesium; 4 g added sugar;
Exchanges:

1/2 other carbohydrate

Reviews (13)

Read More Reviews
13 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 0
  • 4 star values: 10
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 2
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
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EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
07/18/2016
Melted & chopped chocolate ruins meringue? I have tried to make these twice and as soon as I add the chocolate (I used a Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bar) the meringue just liquefies and cannot be rescued. I'm curious to know EXACTLY what kind of chocolate others are using to make this work? I have made these successfully by omitting the melted and chopped chocolate and adding about 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder. As others mentioned I baked at a much lower temperature (200F) for about one hour total. SO good! Note: I have also tried replacing half of the sugar with Stevia in the Raw. This works but it's a bit harder to get stiff peaks and the finished texture is much different - the air bubbles are bigger so the meringues end up a lot lighter and crispier (they also cook a little faster so watch for burning). I think of these as having more of a crisped rice texture whereas the all-sugar ones are a little more solid/dense like the candy marshmallows you get in some kinds of breakfast cereals. Both are good just different:) Pros: Delicious recipe when modified Cons: Adding chocolate liquefies meringue Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
12/15/2015
Watch 'em They can burn: ( These are a nice cookie. I am going to freeze them and hope they do well unthawed. My only disappointment was I wasn't watching them carefully enough and the ones on the lowest shelf (after switching) got singed bottoms. Sigh. Still edible but next time I might just bake them in the middle of the oven. Cocoa nibs are expensive and you could skip them. Pros: Chocolate bliss low calorie Cons: A little fussy not cheap to make Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
11/18/2015
Have to wonder I've read/made tons of meringues and never seen a recipe with a temp of 350 degrees. That might be what is making so many people have issues with the foam collapsing. I'm hesitant to try this recipe but it sounds so rummy I may give it a whirl and use the more typical 250 degree setting. I may end up with puddles! Pros: Ingredients sound great Cons: What's up with the baking temp??? Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
02/06/2012
Puffy vs. Flat? I've made these a few times and LOVE them (big hit at the Super Bowl party last night). Every time I've made them they come out flatter than the picture. BUT last night ONE of my sheets (I doubled the recipe so I had 4 sheets) came out just like the picture. I don't know why but I do know this was when I used my thickest heaviest cookie sheet. Maybe it's about how much heat the sheet retains. I'm not sure. Pros: They taste amazing Cons: Hard to get the puffy look Read More
Leida
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Tasted great but turned out flat as pancakes! The day was dry and I have no clue what went wrong. Other meringue recipes reviews suggested that the baking temperature may be waaaay too high. I will try again using the tips on separating eggs out of the fridge then letting them stand and not touching the whites (I always separate eggs on my palm) but I dunno. I will also back at way lower temperature for way longer this time. The recipe said do not overmix but I found it very hard to fold in chocolate w/o streaking. Wouldn't melted chocolate ruin a meringue by definition seeing it's fat? Read More
Leida
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Okay I tried another batch with the same result. This time I did not add melted chocolate separated eggs in shells had everything sterilized and super dry separated eggs out of the fridge let warm to room T did not breathe over it baked at 260 for 45 minutes switching half way but the result was still the deflated meringue. My peaks looked pretty bright and glossy and hard so I doubt they were over-beaten. I didn't mix them too much dropped at the baking sheets asap with a metal spoon... I will try just basic meringue next but I don't know. Maybe I am just not fated to ever muster meringues! Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
HOW DID THEY MAKE THE ONE'S IN THE PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD AM I CRAVING THE CRISPY OUTSIDE OF A MERINGUE AND A CHEWY INSIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Alright.. followed the recipe to a T...!!!!!!!!! Perfectly... I mean the meringue tasted great while preparing (yeah I tasted raw egg white) It spooned wonderfully onto the wax paper! It looked as if it was baking perfectly!!!!!!! THEN.... DUNT DUNT DUNNNNNNNN They deflated and sorta bubbled... TOTALLY SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sucked... I was so excited for crispy outsides and chewy insides but got mushy egg whites... that's all.. Seriously.. I bake all the time... cook like a pro... I'm proud of my ability and I have to say that this was just a let down... I am assuming it's the temp and the cream of tarter amount.. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I made these cookies and they were wonderful. Just as you described them. The chocolate was delicous. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I have baked these three different times they are so fantastic!!!! You have to follow the directions exactly and they turn out just perfect. I only did 1/2 the recipe to try them the first two times and I overmixed the melted chocolate the 2nd time and got more brownie-like results still good but not like the first time. The third time I wised up and made a whole batch (about 32) and they were PERFECT! The greatest part is that you get that SINFULLY delicious chocolate pleasure but with ONLY 28 CALORIES/cookie!!!!!!! If you are trying to eat smart and get in shape these are a BIG must for those days when you just want something SPECIAL! Cheryl Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I made these twice this last weekend because they were so amazing! The second time around I baked them for 7 minutes total. They were a little more chewy that way and I thought they were perfect! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Great cookie! I'd recommend reversing the second and third steps to make the prep less hectic. Read More
kmol@rochester.rr.com
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
0g protein? I don't understand-there are 3 egg whites in this recipe and supposedly have 0g protein? Read More
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