The past three months of our Monday Bake Dates together have brought extraordinary joy, inspiration, connection, comfort, purpose, laughter, sharing and heart warming friendship in ways I never imagined. Thanks to every single one you who who joined for making our little adventure in gathering together behind our screens so incredibly special and memorable.
I really look forward to continuing our kitchen journey together, but I am taking a short Summer pause to hopefully exercise a little bit of freedom with my sons. I will resume our sessions after the break, shaking things up with savouries as well as sweet for a little variation and fun.
SO…..I want to end this season with a bang and share what is undoubtedly my most baked recipe. CHOCOLATE MERINGUES – utterly delicious, rich, crunchy, fudgey free form treats and my quick as a flash go-to dessert. They really take a maximum of 20 minutes to make from start to finish, which makes this sweet finale to any meal all the more irresistible.
I really cannot thank you enough for your dedicated baking support.
CHOCOLATE MERINGUES
The recipe for these delectable treats found its way into my life via my Great Great Aunt Jeanette, who lived until she was 97 years old. A true New Yorker and a wonderful cook, she unapologetically preferred to dine out rather than in with friends (her table only had 4 chairs around it ay any time). I have increased the quantities in the original recipe to meet my greedy needs. Her original version only really made 8-10 at a stretch, and that is really never enough. Aunt Jeanette also included 1/2 cup unspecified roughly chopped nuts (as family recipes often do), and while I have made them with hazelnuts and walnuts, I really do prefer them unadulterated.
In my fantasy life, I like to think this family secret will one day be my most famous recipe. That, however, is up to you. But let me be clear. These are NOT macaroons. These meringues should not be piped into a perfect round. They bake like a cookie (and not slowly at low temperature). They are free form, crunchy on the outside, soft and almost gooey on the inside.
Please do not be alarmed by the amount of chocolate. It works. And please do not lower the oven temperature – it ensures a crispy outside edge. And please do not be tempted to fuss and pipe the mix, it will deflate. Just dollop spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet, or if you want to be more exacting, use a small ice cream scoop. But follow the instructions. Especially the cooling time. They work. This is probably my most tested recipe.
To make the meringues, you ideally need a stand mixer to whisk the egg whites and sugar into a meringue, but if you have strength and grit you can also whip them by hand. You will also need a small saucepan and a heatproof bowl that fits on top to melt the chocolate, a rubber spatula, two baking sheets and some parchment paper.