Yes, you’ve tried meringues before but have you tried chocolate-swirled meringues sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts? I don’t think so, and that needs to change. So put this recipe for Chocolate Meringues on your to-bake list!
I love making meringues around the festive season and giving them away, and these delicate cookies with swirls of chocolate are the perfect edible gift!
If you’re thinking about what you are going to do with the leftover egg yolks from this recipe, why not try out this recipe for White Chocolate Crème Brulee or this recipe for Pistachio Tiramisu?
If you'd like to try out other meringue recipes, have a look at this recipe for Meringue Kisses or this recipe for a Mango Pavlova.
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Ingredients
You will need the simple ingredients listed below to make this recipe. Always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Egg whites
- Castor sugar
- White vinegar
- Hazelnuts
- Milk chocolate
- Cocoa powder for dusting, optional
Egg whites – for this recipe you will need egg whites, I have given the quantity in grams so that you can use this recipe regardless of the size eggs you have.
Castor sugar – for this recipe use fine white castor sugar.
White vinegar – for this recipe I used white grape vinegar.
Hazelnuts – use hazelnuts or whole nuts for this recipe. If you can’t find them, then choose to replace them with almonds or even pistachios.
Milk chocolate – choose a quality great tasting milk chocolate for this recipe, I used Cadbury milk chocolate. you could also use mini chocolate chips rather than a chocolate slab. If you prefer dark chocolate you can use this instead.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the instructions below to make the perfect chocolate meringues.
STEP 1: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 100C (212F) fan forced. Line one large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
STEP 2: Separate the egg whites. If you are using whole eggs, separate the whites from the yolks carefully. Ensuring there is no yellow left in the whites.
STEP 3: Whip the egg whites. Place the egg whites into a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk attachment. Beat at low speed until bubbles start forming then increase the speed to medium speed. Beat until soft peaks form.
STEP 4: Add the sugar. Add the castor sugar to the egg whites one tablespoon at a time, with the mixer running at medium-low speed. Continue until all of the sugar has been added.
STEP 5: Add the vinegar and beat. Add the vinegar to the meringue mixture and increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high speed, beat for 10 minutes until stiff peaks form.
STEP 6: Add the chocolate and nuts. Toast the nuts in a pan set over medium heat until slightly golden, chop the nuts. Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl and melt it in the microwave at increments of 30 seconds, stirring often. Fold through the melted chocolate and nuts to the meringue batter using a rubber spatula.
STEP 7: Bake. Use a large metal or wooden spoon to scoop dollops of meringue onto the prepared oven tray, making 5 meringues. Bake the meringues in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the bottom of the meringues lifts easily off the parchment paper. Switch off the oven and leave the meringues to cool in the oven overnight. Enjoy!
Hint: always make sure you have zero egg yolks in the egg whites when making meringues.
Variations
You can use either milk chocolate or dark chocolate for this recipe, both work well.
If you can’t find hazelnuts, you can choose to leave them out or replace them with almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts, or chopped walnuts.
Equipment
For this recipe, you will need an electric stand mixer or hand mixer. This will ensure you have a perfectly aerated meringue. You will also need a large baking sheet pan.
Storage
Store any leftover meringues in an airtight container at room temperature out of direct sunlight for up to 2 weeks.
I do not recommend freezing meringues.
Expert Tips for best results
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks carefully. I find that eggs are easier to separate when they are at room temperature. If you get traces of egg yolks in your whites, the whites will not whip properly.
- Be sure that the mixing bowl and the whisk are properly cleaned and that they have no traces of fat on either of them. To be safe you can cut a lemon in half and use this to rub on the inside of the bowl and along the whisk.
- Start whipping the egg whites slowly, once there are little bubbles throughout the whites you can increase the speed of the electric mixer.
- Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, do not rush this process.
- Once the sugar and vinegar have been added set a timer and whip the whites for a further 7 to 10 minutes to ensure that the whites are whipped properly.
- If you aren’t sure if your whites are properly whipped, remove the whisk attachment and swirl it through the mixture and then lift it. A stiff peak should form on the whisk and this is how you know that you have whipped the mixture sufficiently.
- Another way to test if you have whisked the mixture properly is when piping look for the little peaks on each mini meringue, if you don’t have then you have not mixed the meringue properly.
- Do not let the whipped meringues sit for too long before piping them. Otherwise, the texture will change and you will risk all of your hard work.
Top tip
Make sure that there are no egg yolks in the egg whites and ensure that the bowl and whisk you are using are 100% free from any grease.
FAQ
No, I do not recommend making this meringue recipe with granulated sugar.
Meringues are very heat sensitive and need to be baked at the correct oven temperature. The best way to ensure that your oven is set correctly is to use an oven thermometer.
When meringues have an almost bubbly texture rather than a smooth shiny finish, it's due to the oven settings. For meringues, I found the best way to ensure a perfect bake is to use a fan-forced setting on your oven.
These meringues are delicious - crispy on the outside with a soft interior and a great chocolate flavor!
I love enjoying these just as they are but you can serve them with fresh fruit, whipped cream, ice cream, or even chocolate sauce for the perfect dessert.
I hope you give this amazing recipe a try and if you do please comment below and leave a star rating I would love to hear from you! Also, don’t forget to send photos of your bakes to me on Instagram @with_love_ kitty
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Meringues
Equipment
- 1x large baking sheet pan
Ingredients
- 100 grams egg whites
- 200 grams castor sugar
- 2 teaspoon white grape vinegar
- 50 grams milk chocolate
- 50 grams hazlenuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 100°C (212°F) fan forced. Line one large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Place the egg whites into a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at low speed until bubbles start forming then increase the speed to medium speed. Beat until soft peaks form.
- Add the castor sugar to the egg whites one tablespoon at a time, with the mixer running at medium-low speed. Continue until all of the sugar has been added.
- Add the vinegar to the meringue mixture and increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high speed, beat for 10 minutes until stiff peaks form and the meringue looks glossy.
- Toast the nuts in a pan set over medium heat until slightly golden, chop the nuts. Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl and melt it in the microwave at increments of 30 seconds, stirring often. Fold through the melted chocolate and nuts to the meringue batter using a rubber spatula.
- Use a large metal or wooden spoon to scoop dollops of meringue onto the prepared oven tray, making 5 meringues. Bake the meringues in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the bottom of the meringues lifts easily off the parchment paper. Switch off the oven and leave the meringues to cool in the oven overnight. Enjoy!
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