5: Cinnamon-Chocolate Meringues

I'll be completely honest - half the time I confuse meringues with macaroons. I'd never had either until I was an adult, so I find this somewhat understandable. I like macaroons, but somehow I thought that transferred over to meringues as well. I would still have tried making meringues, but I wouldn't have had such high expectations of them.

Meringues sounded fun. I had egg whites stored away already, and it gave me an excuse to use my stand mixer.

Using kitchen toys + using up ingredients I had (+ making low calorie treats) = a good time

Now, the fact that the picture on the recipe page for Cinnamon-Chocolate Meringues features completely white treats, in spite calling for 3 tablespoons cocoa, should have given me warning. It took longer than the recipe's 15 minutes active time for my egg whites to really reach the stage they should be at, but that could be because I'd stored the egg whites in the freezer for a little while before thawing them to room temperature.

Egg whites are messy, but I expected that so it wasn't a problem. The recipe only made half as many meringues as it said it would, though, even though I thought I followed the sizing directions, trying to make them look like the pretty, little dollops in the picture. (It is tough, though, to eyeball 1.5 inches.)

Then, I thought they were too big, so I overbaked them... I think. I don't really have a reference to compare them to.

Cinnamon-Chocolate Meringues

Cinnamon and chocolate are delicious together, so they tasted just fine. And they held together just fine. I don't know if the texture is how it should be, though. The danger in making something that I've never, ever tried before is that I don't know if they've turned out. They're completely edible - and we ate them all - but are they actually good? Uncertain.

I'll probably try meringues again, but not this recipe.