Failed Chocolate Meringue Cookies

When I think of meringue cookies, I think of this beautiful little pâtisserie in Perpignan, Southern France, that I visited a few years ago. Then, I was just used to small bakeries in my hometown that never seemed to survive more than a few years at a time. Meringue cookies were few and far between, and were often stale or overly sweet. When I spotted the meringues in the window, I just had to stop in for a taste. “Amandes, Chocolat, Pêche, Noisette,” read the hand-written labels. “Un de chaque s’il vous plait,” one of each, I said, with as little grace as possible. The man at the counter chuckled, murmered something in French, and put the delicate mounds in a paper bag. That day, my diet consisted of those meringues, an over-ripe, sumptuous peach, a handful of raw almonds, several olives, and a good portion of a bottle of wine. It was perfection.

Since then, I’ve been more than a little obsessed with meringue cookies. I love to experiment with different recipes, different additions, and different methods of preparation. I have my own recipe that I created over these past few years, and, up until this weekend, I thought I had perfected it.

Enter Chocolate Meringue Bark, or as I like to call it, Failed Chocolate Meringue Cookies. As I started to make the meringue, it didn’t form the characteristic shiny, stiff peaks. Instead, it formed the smooth consistency of a marshmallow cream. Ugh. So, I worked with what I had, added the cocoa, and spread it out on a pan to make a light, crisp chocolate bark. It was absolutely delicious, and though I’d love to take credit for it and say it was intentional, it wasn’t.

Chocolate Meringue Bark (aka Failed Chocolate Meringue Cookies)
Makes one ½ inch slab or 12 cookies

Ingredients:
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup white granulated sugar
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted

Instructions:
1) Place a wire rack on a cookie sheet and line the rack with parchment. Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) In a small bowl, whisk the cream of tartar and sugar, and set aside.

3) In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer set on high, until frothy. With mixer still on, add the cream of tartar and sugar mixture to the egg whites, one tablespoon at a time, allowing to mix for five seconds between additions.

4) Continue to beat on high for 3–5 minutes, or until stiff, glossy peaks form.

5) Did you get the peaks? If so, awesome! If not, skip to the next step. Using a rubber spatula, fold in cocoa powder until barely combined, and streaks remain. Drop the meringue by the spoonful onto the parchment-lined rack, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Place in oven and cook for 1 ½ hours. Let cool completely on pan and decorate as desired (see suggestions below).

6) If those beautiful stiff glossy peaks don’t form, just dry your eyes and keep on going. Fold in the cocoa, as directed above, and then pour the mixture onto the parchment-lined rack. Spread the meringue evenly, using an offset spatula, until you have a ½ inch thick rectangle. Place in oven and cook for one hour, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue in for another 30 minutes. Cool completely on pan, break into pieces, and top as desired.

A few topping variations:
Drizzle with melted dark chocolate, sprinkle with shredded coconut.
Sprinkle sifted icing sugar or cocoa powder (or a mixture of the two).
Drizzle with melted white, dark, and milk chocolate.

I know this is a general question, but what’s your favourite dessert? Do you make it yourself, or do you buy it somewhere?