Prep 30 minutes, plus 1 hour cooking, makes 20-30
Decorated chocolate meringues make a great little dessert, or they can be used to accompany something grander, if required. We generally find they are set out on the table ready to party with another pudding, but when we return, they have magically disappeared without a trace or a sound.
- 2 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 150g caster sugar
- 50g unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 50g milk chocolate
- 30g icing sugar
special equipment:
- food-processor or blender piping bag with a small- to medium-star tip
Preheat the oven to 130°C/gas mark 1 and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites with the salt until frothy. Using a food-processor or blender at high speed, gradually add the sugar, beating until stiff peaks start to form. Now fold in the cocoa powder and almond extract.
Using a piping bag with a small- to medium-star tip, pipe generous rosettes of the mixture onto the baking trays.
Bake the rosettes for about 50 minutes, until they are crisp and dry to the touch.
Switch the oven off, but leave the meringues inside until they are completely dry.
Put the meringues on a wire rack and leave them to cool to room temperature.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of water that boiled 5 minutes earlier and is now off the heat and cooling. Stir occasionally until smooth.
Working in batches of 5 meringues at a time, use a teaspoon to drizzle chocolate over the meringues, before sieving icing sugar over the chocolate. Gently tap off the excess icing sugar. Serve as they are, or as an accompaniment to a dessert.
