- 12
Ingredients
- 3 oz Good bittersweet Chocolate
- 3 Egg whites, from extra large eggs
- Pinch of cream of tartar (Optional)
- 7/8 cup Superfine or granulated Sugar
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
2. Cut out 2 rectangles of nonstick baking parchment to fit your baking sheets, then put one on each tray.
3. Break up the chocolate and put it in a small heatproof bowl. Melt the chocolate. Half-fill a saucepan with water, carefully put in on the stove, and bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat, set the bowl over the pan, and leave the chocolate to melt gently. Stirring every few minutes until smooth. Carefully remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool slightly while you whisk up the whites.
4. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar, if using, in a large, spotlessly clean and grease-free bowl (Grease will make it difficult to whisk the whites stiffly). Stand the bowl on a damp paper towel to keep it from wabbling.
5. Using a wire or electric whisk or mixer, start beating the egg whites. Whisk steadily until the whites turn into a stiff white foam-lift out the whisk and there will be a little peak of white standing on the end; if you are brave enough to turn the bowl upside down, the whites will remain in the bowl.
6. Tip the sugar onto the whites and whisk it into them to make a stiff and glossy meringue. Stop whisking as soon as all the sugar has been combined.
7. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the meringue then gently stir through, using a very few strokes so the mixture looks very streaky and marbled.
8. Scoop a heaped tablespoon of mixture out of the bowl and drop it onto one of the prepared baking sheets to make a craggy heap. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to make 12, spacing them slightly apart on baking sheets.
9. Put the meringues in the preheated oven to bake for 2 hours. Remove the sheets from the oven and leave to cool. Peel the meringues off the lining paper and pile them up in a serving bowl.
Your meringues can also be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.