TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- What it is: These massive, airy meringues are gently swirled with cocoa and cinnamon, creating a beautifully marbled look and a delicate, spicy-sweet flavor.
- Why you’ll love it: They’re a stunning, gluten-free, and light dessert option that is perfect for holiday entertaining, thoughtful gift-giving, or a light snack.
- How to make it: Heat sugar in a 400°F (204°C) oven, then turn down to 225°F (107°C). Whip the hot sugar + salt into beaten egg whites until very stiff, fold in cinnamon-cocoa mixture, spoon into large swirls, bake low + slow.
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These meringues are big, pillowy sugary treats. The method of adding hot sugar to the egg whites means that once cooked, the insides of the meringues stay chewy and marshmallowy while the outside is crisp. The meringues are delicious eaten on their own or with lightly whipped heavy cream and maybe a scattering of raspberries.
Featured Review
Now, I have made these before and they are perfect, but I wanted to adapt it to a Christmas cookie. So I made the recipe as directed, except adding some cream of tartar, since it was mentioned that it was omitted due to the use of cocoa powder. I also added some vanilla and mini chocolate chips for flavor, again since omitting the cocoa and cinnamon. But the technique was the same with using the hot sugar. I used a pastry bag, large star tip and I striped the sides with paste food coloring. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!
Jennifer Palmer
What’s the Trick to Making Meringues?
There is no single trick. Successful meringues take just a little more effort than whipping. But it’s simply attention to detail. Always use egg whites from fresh eggs rather than packaged whites. Ensure they’re at room temperature. It’s also imperative that you don’t get any—ANY—yolk mixed in. Keep careful watch of the whites while beating, starting on medium speed and working up to foamy before increasing the speed. You’ll be rewarded for your vigilance with light, fluffy clouds of delight.
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If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Featured Review
These Meringues were wonderful and a great way to use up the left over egg whites after making the also yummy Spanish Orange Flan on this site. But I am confused about the yield—I ended up with 20 good sized cookies following the recipe exactly; why does the recipe specify deviding the batter into 4 or 6 equally sized units? Am I missing something? 1.5 hours was just a tad too long a bake, even though I was the only one who noticed. My family loved these cookies and I will be making them again!
Lynn
Chocolate and Cinnamon Swirl Meringues
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups superfine sugar, (or just blitz granulated sugar in a blender until finely ground but not powdery)
- 4 to 5 large (5 1/2 oz) egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons cocoa , (either natural or Dutch-processed)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Pour the sugar into a small roasting pan and place in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, or until the sugar is hot to the touch and just barely starting to melt at the edges. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 225°F (107°C).
- While the sugar is in the oven, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the salt and whisk until frothy.
- Quickly pour all the hot sugar onto the egg whites in one go and continue to whisk on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until the meringue mixture is very stiff and white.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa and cinnamon. Pour the cocoa mixture into the meringue mixture and, using a large metal spoon, very lightly fold it in, using just two or three strokes. The trick is to keep the mixture quite marbled in appearance.
- Spoon the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in 4 or 6 equal-size peaky meringues. Cook on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 1 1/2 to 3 3/4 hours, until the meringues are dry and crisp throughout. (Yes, we know, that’s quite the range in time. It all depends on the size of your meringues and the humidity in your kichen.)
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet. (The cookies will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Find more information on storing your cookies here.)
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Did you know only 68% of the recipes we test make it onto the site? This recipe survived our rigorous blind testing process by multiple home cooks. It earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval—and the testers’ reviews below prove it.
These make for a beautiful dessert. They come out crunchy on the outside with a chewy center. When warming my sugar, I noticed it began to melt a bit on the edges, but this did not have any effect on the finished product.
My meringues took about two hours in the oven. They had a light, sweet flavor that would go great with some fruit. I served mine with frozen yogurt and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. They were a nice follow-up to a heavy meal.
Everyone loved the flavor and texture. I thought the new method of baking the sugar was really interesting. Pay attention to the sugar—I pulled it out to look when I noticed that the edges were looking like liquid; it took only five minutes. Also, my stand mixer must be strong, because my whites and sugar were ready in about four to five minutes.
My meringues took about one hour to bake. The range in time could be due to a few factors—aside from oven variations, how thick the meringue is placed on the sheet can determine the amount of time it takes to bake. I’m not sure about three hours, but I could see up to two hours.
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These Meringues were wonderful and a great way to use up the left over egg whites after making the also yummy Spanish Orange Flan on this site. But I am confused about the yield—I ended up with 20 good sized cookies following the recipe exactly; why does the recipe specify deviding the batter into 4 or 6 equally sized units? Am I missing something? 1.5 hours was just a tad too long a bake, even though I was the only one who noticed. My family loved these cookies and I will be making them again!
Those look lovely, Lynn. I’m so happy that you and your family enjoyed them. The original recipe suggests serving them as a larger dessert, possibly topped with whipped cream and raspberries, which is why it says to divide the batter into 4 or 6 meringues. Making them as cookies works just as well, though, and is very nice for a smaller treat.