Mexican Hot Chocolate Meringue Cookies

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5 from 1 vote

Mexican Hot Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Mexican Hot Chocolate Meringues are bite-sized treats that taste like a sweet cup of cocoa with a spicy kick!

Prep Time20

Cook Time2 15

Total Time2 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 33kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

4 egg whites room temperature
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chili powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or less if you need less spice
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips plus a few extra for garnish
1½ cup miniature marshmallows for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
Mix cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne and nutmeg in a bowl. Set aside.
Prepare a piping bag with tip and set in a tall glass.
In a clean metal or glass bowl, add egg whites, cream of tartar and salt start mixer on low speed. When eggs start to look frothy, increase speed to medium high.
Beat 4-5 minutes until it increases in volume and starts to look glossy.
With mixer running, gradually add sugar and continue beating until mixture holds its shape. Total time is about 10 minutes, but may vary based on humidity and mixer speed.
Rub a small bit of the mixture between your fingers to feel for any grittiness or unincorporated sugar. If it feels gritty, mix for another 2-3 minutes. You want the mixture to be extra stiff to help hold the weight of the cocoa powder.
Fold in vanilla and cocoa powder mixture, scraping sides of bowl to incorporate all ingredients
Add mixture to the prepared piping bag.
Pipe mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, (If the cookie is level on top and not peaked, it is easier to garnish)
Move cookie sheets to a preheated oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.
Bake 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave cookies to cool in the oven an additional hour.
Melt ½ cup chocolate chips in a glass, microwaveable dish. Start with 30 seconds and stir, microwaving at 20-30 second increments until chocolate is smooth and able to be drizzled. If you have small clumps remaining, try stirring before returning to the microwave to avoid overheating chocolate. Pro tip: add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to chocolate to help thin out the chocolate.
Dip just the bottom surface of the miniature marshmallows or chocolate chips in melted chocolate and add to cookies. Drizzle with remaining chocolate.
Allow chocolate to set.

Notes

Storage:

To Store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
To Freeze: Store in a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to two months.

Tips:

Use a glass or metal bowl so you know there is no oil or water clinging to the sides of a plastic bowl.
Separate the eggs over an empty bowl. In case a yolk breaks, you aren’t contaminating all your egg whites. Make sure the egg whites are free from any bits of the yolk, no matter how small.
Eggs whites whip best at room temperature. Separate the eggs while they are still cold, then let them sit for 30 minutes or until room temperature.
It is best to bake these when the humidity is low. If you live in a region where you get a lot of humidity, mix 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the sugar before adding it to the mixture. You may need to bake longer to get the same crispy meringue.
If you find that the meringue isn’t holding its shape well after you mix in the cocoa powder, try adding about a cup of meringue into the cocoa powder first, and then folding the cocoa mixture back into the rest of the egg whites.
A gallon zip top bag can work for a piping bag in a pinch. Fill the bag and seal, then cut the tip of one of the lower corners of the bag to create your own piping bag. You can also spoon the mixture onto the cooking sheet for a more rustic look.
Don't discard your yolks! You can find a recipe that uses your egg yolks, such as custard, hollandaise sauce or our homemade Lemon Curd. Make a double batch of lemon curd and use some as a spread and some to make Lemon Lava Cakes.

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