5 days of christmas cookies: chocolate-dipped meringues

Although  these cookies aren’t from the usual stack of Christmas recipes, meringues are a favorite of mine, so I’ve been playing around with a few different kinds. Since none of the cookie recipes I’ve done in this series have contained chocolate, I figured I should make sure that chocolate was represented somewhere. Because, really, it’s not dessert without a little chocolate!

Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 t cream of tartar
• 1 c + 2 T sugar, superfine if possible
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 c dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment until the whites become foamy.
2. Add the cream of tartar and turn up the speed, beating until just fluffy. Then gradually add the sugar while continuing to whisk, so the sugar gets incorporated without collapsing the egg whites.
3. When all the sugar has been added, add the vanilla and increase the speed to high, whisking until the meringue is firm and glossy, 5 to 7 more minutes.
4. Either make small meringue cookies using a spoon or place the meringue into a piping bag with a medium-size round tip attached and make small teardrop-shaped meringues on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, then place in the 225 F oven. Bake for 1 hour without opening the oven door, and then turn off the heat and leave the meringues in the oven overnight to dry out.
5. Melt the chocolate either in the microwave, about 30 seconds, or over a double-boiler.
6. Dip the base of each meringue in the chocolate, then place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Allow the chocolate to dry at room temperature, then place the cookies in an airtight container.