So I made meringues for the first time.
I never really had the urge to make them before. I like meringue when it comes on top of pie (because, pie), but otherwise it is just kind of meh for me. I’ve never been super impressed, you know?
These chocolate pistachio meringues, though. I’m converted. I’d make them again and again and again.
I’ve been following along with The Kitchn’s Baking School series. The first week was all about eggs and after reading a little more about meringues I decided to give them a shot. I had the afternoon free and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. Because that’s what I do when I have free afternoons.
Bake and drink a lot of coffee.
At first glance meringues seem a little intimidating. I think it’s all the whipping and the watching for the peaks to progress.
Is it to the ‘stiff peak stage’ yet?!
However, they are actually quite simple. Don’t be scared. Remain calm. Be patient.
You probably already have all the ingredients on hand, which is essentially just egg whites and sugar. We do add some cream of tartar for structure and some vanilla and salt for taste. If you don’t already have cream of tartar in your pantry, get some so that you can make dozens upon dozens of snickerdoodles to go with your meringues. I added chopped pistachios and chocolate to these, because I had both in my cupboard and this flavor combination makes my heart glad.
To make meringues you basically just combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them until the mixture gets super smooth and glossy with stiff peaks.
That’s the very simplified way to put it. I would recommend reading this first.
I wasn’t really expecting much from these and made them just for the sake of trying something new. However, I was totally blown away by how much I liked them!
And by how cute they looked.
They aren’t like the dry store-bought meringues that I’ve tasted before. These are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with just the right amount of sweetness.
I brought them into work and received high praise. I even got an “I don’t normally like meringues, but someone told me I had to try one. I did and then I ended up eating 4.”
This was a feeling of which I was well aware.
This recipe was inspired by The Kitchn. Try them out and let me know what you think!
- 3 large eggs whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted pistachios, chopped
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, chopped
- Preheat the oven to 215 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
- Add the eggs whites to a medium bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer). Using the whisk attachment, whisk eggs on low speed. They should start to foam.
- Add the cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.
- Increase speed to medium. Begin to add the sugar, a little bit at a time whisking well between each addition. The mixture will start to form soft peaks. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and continue to slowly add the sugar. Be patient. The mixture will continue to stiffen.
- Once the mixture has formed stiff peaks (where you dip a spoon in an the peak is able to stay sticking straight up), gently fold in the chopped pistachios and chocolate, saving a little bit of each to sprinkle on the top.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared pan. The larger they are, the longer they will need to bake. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios and chocolate on top of the meringues.
- Bake for 60-90 minutes depending on the size of the meringues. I was able to get about 20 meringues out of the batter and baked them for 85 minutes. When fully baked, you should be able to lift the meringue off of the baking pan without it breaking.
- Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the meringues cool in the oven completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
And if you love baking (as I do) you should follow along with The Kitchn’s Baking School. Last week was all about butter and this week is about yeast. Yay learning!
