These light, airy, and slightly chewy meringue cookies are like chocolatey clouds studded with mini chocolate chips. They’re flavored with a touch of almond extract and dusted with freeze-dried strawberry powder (easily made by whizzing up strawberries in a spice grinder) for a subtle tartness to counteract the sweetness. But they’re highly adaptable.
If you’re a chocolate-lover, drizzle or dip them with melted chocolate. You could also sprinkle them with chopped nuts before baking, or fold in 3/4 cup of chopped nuts or sliced almonds with the mini chocolate chips. Not a fan of almond flavor? (I know it can be a love-hate thing!) Swap out the almond extract for vanilla.
Since the main ingredients are egg whites and sugar, the cookies are super light and melt-in-your-mouth irresistible. Bonus: They’re also gluten-free.
What Makes Meringue Cookies Chewy?
Adding the sugar in very gradually can help the stability and texture of the meringue, which helps promote chewiness. (Adding the sugar too fast or dumping it in all at once will cause the air to deflate.) However, the most effective way to create a soft interior and slightly chewy texture is by letting the cookies cool in a turned-off oven with the door cracked open.
I have followed this method when making pavlova or larger meringues for many years, following a British cook and household name, Delia Smith, who advises leaving meringues to cool in the oven overnight. However, these cookies are too small to leave in the oven for longer than 15 minutes, as they would dry out too quickly. If you do prefer a crisp, crunchy texture throughout, then close the oven door at the cooling stage.
