Revisiting meringue cookies

Back in 2008, Annalena (who wasn't really Annalena yet), posted a recipe for a wonderful meringue cookie:

http://annalenacantacena.blogspot.com/2008/11/nuts-to-you-meringue-cookies.html


Now, if you had a nut allergy, you couldn't eat this cookie.  If you didn't, it became one of your favorites, if Annalena says so herself.  It saw parts of the country she has never seen.  And all was good with the world.

BUT.... last May, when Annalena and the Guyman were touring San Francisco, they visited the factory and store of the wonderful chocolate manufacturer, TCHO.  Annalena commends their products to you, especially if you like your chocolate with a coffee/bitter edge to it.  They are wonderful.

While there, Annalena tasted their cacao nibs.  For those of you who don't know these,  they are the immediate product after cacao beans are washed, and roasted.  Chocolate comes many steps later.  Take a look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate


When she tasted them, Annalena thought  "these would be GREAT in the meringue cookies."  She really did think that: no dirty words, no sexual innuendo, nothing (perhaps she was tired, or hadn't had sufficient coffee, or something).  Well, Tcho only sold the product in 3 pound bags.  And as luggage space is  scarce on trips our intrepid pair take - and there was the reality of carrying the monster around the city - Annalena ordered a bag and had them sent home.  By themselves, they are too bitter.  But in combination, as she found out, they make a wonderful cookie.

Let us put it this way, ragazzi:  Annalena has not found a single person who did not rave about these.  She is considering, very carefully, dispensing with holiday cookie selections in favor of nothing but variations on this theme.  And that's both a consideration and a  threat.  So those of you who love the cookies...

Ok, let's get going.  The essentials:  the whites of three large eggs.  A cup of sugar.  A tablespoon of white vinegar, and a cup to 1.5 cups of cocoa nibs.  You can add the seeds of one vanilla bean, if you like, or you can use vanilla sugar, or you can leave out the vanilla all together.  A teaspoon of extract would probably work as well.

Put the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl with the vinegar, and get out your whisk attachment.  Raise the speed to HIGH and set a timer.  Leave the stuff alone for three minutes.  By the end of that time, you should have billowy, fluffy egg whites.  Now, lower the speed, and start adding the sugar little by little.  If you are using the vanilla bean seeds or the extract, now is the time to add that as well.  At the end, you will have shiny, stiff, glossy egg whites.

Off the mixer, stir in the cacao nibs gently, and carefully. Now, have some fun.  You can add a cup of bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate chips are too sweet).  OR you can add a nice heaping teaspoon of cinnamon.   OR... well, let your imagination run with you, ragazzi, as long as you keep in mind that the meringues are VERY sweet, so something like white chocolate or butterscotch chips, is probably not the best idea.

Cover two baking sheets with parchment, and heat your oven to 225.  Now, get a melon baller, or something that measures a teaspoon.  Annalena finds that things work better if she wets the scoop and coats it with sugar, and repeats this every five cookies or so.  Start dropping the meringue onto the sheets, by the teaspoon.  Give them some room: you probably want 20-24 of these per sheet.

Put each sheet on an oven rack, and after 22-23 minutes, protect your hands, reverse them, and bake for another 22-23 minutes.  Turn off the oven, open the door, and let them cool.

If you've used the chips, these cookies will be dense, and not so high.  With the cinnamon, they billow, like fat little pillows, and the cinnamon/cacao nib mix has some people compare the cookies to cherries.   Annalena doesn't see it, but she doesn't have your tongue.  At least not yet.

Try variations and let Annalena know.  She's thinking of doing a spicy one with some chili powder.  If you want to know how that turns out, tell her.  She'll keep you filled in.