Chocolate Meringue Cookies — No Flour

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites (Separate from the yolks; reserve yolks for another use)
• cream of tartar (Optional; use a small pinch)
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 100 g semi-sweet chocolate chips (Use only enough heat to melt the chocolate and butter)
• 2 tbsp unsalted or salted butter (Cut into smaller pieces before melting; salted butter is acceptable)
• 20 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 0.125 tsp salt (A tiny pinch; especially important if using salted butter)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (The source describes this as a glug, so the amount is approximate)
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder (Balances the sweetness and deepens the chocolate flavor; it should not make the cookies taste like coffee)
• semi-sweet chocolate chips (Optional, for additional chocolate chunks; add as much as desired)
• cooking spray (For spraying the parchment paper)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper and coat the parchment with cooking spray so the sticky cookies have two layers of release protection.

2. 2

   Separate two eggs, placing the whites in a large mixing bowl and reserving the yolks for another use. Add a small pinch of cream of tartar if using it.

3. 3

   Beat the egg whites for a couple of minutes, until they are very foamy and beginning to form peaks.

4. 4

   Add the powdered sugar to the foamy egg whites. The sugar will temporarily collapse the foam, so continue beating on high for about 5 minutes, until the meringue becomes stiff again and holds firm peaks.

5. 5

   Place the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave just until the butter has melted; the source reports this took about 40 seconds. Avoid overheating the chocolate, since it can burn or seize.

6. 6

   Stir the melted chocolate and butter together until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and instant espresso powder, then mix until evenly combined.

7. 7

   Stir a small scoop of the meringue into the chocolate mixture to loosen it and keep the mixture workable.

8. 8

   Scrape the chocolate mixture into the remaining meringue. Add optional extra chocolate chips if you want chocolate chunks in the finished cookies.

9. 9

   Mix the chocolate and meringue together only until barely combined. A mixer can be used briefly, or the mixture can be folded by hand; do not overmix, or the foam may deflate. Scrape down the sides and finish combining any remaining streaks by hand.

10. 10

    Use a small ice cream scoop or ladle to drop six large dollops of batter onto the prepared parchment, leaving space between them. Scrape the bowl thoroughly to use all the batter.

11. 11

    Bake at 350°F (180°C) for up to 15 minutes. The cookies are ready when their tops crack and the edges show and smell slightly more browned. They will still be very soft when removed from the oven.

12. 12

    Let the cookies cool completely on the pan until they harden enough to peel away from the parchment. They become chewier after sitting, and the source particularly likes them the next day.

Notes

The recipe makes about six large cookies. For a more brownie-like cookie, the reserved egg yolks may be mixed into the chocolate mixture, but leaving them out produces the traditional glossy meringue texture. The source does not specify a storage container or storage duration.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cookies
• gluten-free
• flourless
• baked
• chocolate
• meringue
• make-ahead