Recipe: Mexican Meringue Cookies (with chocolate coating)

MEXICAN MERINGUE COOKIES

1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sugar, divided use
5 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
FOR COATING THE MERINGUES:
1 1/2 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread almonds in a pie pan and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the toasted almonds with 1/3 cup of the sugar until finely chopped. Add cocoa, cornstarch, and cinnamon and pulse just until mixed; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on low speed just until frothy. Add cream of tartar, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until the whites form firm but still moist peeks. Add vanilla and almond extracts and beat just until blended. In 2 additions, gently fold the cocoa mixture into the beaten whites just until blended. (A few streaks of white may remain.)

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of the batter, 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets, or pipe the batter through a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip.

Bake, using both oven racks, for 1 1/2 hours, alternating the positions of the pans halfway through the baking time.

Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool in the oven for 1 hour, then peel them off the parchment paper.

Melt chocolate in a small bowl set over a pan of almost simmering water or in the microwave. Use a small pastry brush to apply a thin coating of chocolate to the flat side of the meringues. Let the meringues stand, chocolate-side up, until the chocolate has set. (Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

Makes 4 dozen cookies
Source: The Eating Well Dessert Cookbook by Eating Well Magazine