Ingredients:
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp cocoa nibs, coarsely chopped, divided use
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 250 F. Place the room temperature egg whites in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and begin to beat them on medium-high speed. Once the whites are frothy, add the cream of tartar and continue to beat them until they form very soft peaks.
2. Once they reach the soft peak stage, add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and the pinch of salt. Continue to beat until the whites are very shiny and hold stiff peaks.
3. Stop the mixer. Sprinkle 1.5 tbsp of the cocoa nibs, the cocoa powder, and the cinnamon over the top of the meringue, and fold them into the whites very gently. Stop as soon as they are incorporated--the less you stir the meringue, the better.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a spoon to scoop small mounds of meringue onto the sheet. They won’t spread much, if at all, so you can place them fairly close together. Again, try to avoid handling the meringues too much, or they will lose their lightness and volume. Once all the meringue mixture is scooped, sprinkle the tops with the remaining cocoa nibs.
5. Bake the meringues for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave them inside for another 4 hours, or until fully crisp.
6. Cocoa-Cinnamon Meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature in a dry environment for up to a week. Humidity may reduce their shelf life.
