Crispy Malted Bitter Chocolate Meringues

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 7 egg whites (approximately 1 cup), at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup confectionary sugar
• 1/4 cup barley malt syrup or ice cream shop malt syrup
• Stand mixer
• Piping bag, fitted with a 9/16-inchdiameter round tip (#7), optional
• Cookie sheets

1. Preheat the oven to 225F.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment or use nonstick pans.
3. Prepare the chocolate and sugar mixture:
4. Chop the unsweetened chocolate very fine by hand and combine it with 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar.
5. Make the meringue (see "A French meringue and egg white foams" in the Notes section, below):
6. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until frothy and no longer liquid.
7. Add the cream of tartar and whisk for another 2 minutes.
8. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking on medium-high speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes after each addition.
9. The whites will continually increase in volume, shine, and whiteness (at least 15 minutes of whisking is required).
10. Add the confectionary sugar in 3 additions, whisking for 30 seconds after each addition.
11. Add the barley malt syrup and whisk on slow speed for 1 minute.
12. Fold in the chocolate:
13. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a spatula, fold in the chocolate and sugar mixture.
14. To fold in ingredients, place the spatula in the center of the bowl, scrape the bottom, and bring the bottom over the top.
15. Rotate the bowl 45 degrees and repeat this motion.
16. Continue folding the mixture until the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the meringue.
17. Shape the meringues:
18. Simple, free-form meringues:
19. For a lovely, free-form meringue, use the tip of a rubber spatula to scoop up about 3 tablespoons of meringue and quickly flick it onto the cookie sheet, allowing 1 inch between meringues.
20. Piped meringues:
21. For a more finished, uniform-looking meringue, scrape half of the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 9/16-inch-diameter round tip and the top fo lded back in a 4-inch cuff Unfold the cuff and twist the top of the bag closed, pushing and squeezing the meringue down toward the tip.
22. Hold the bag upright, about 1 inch above the parchment paper, and gently squeeze, raising the bag as you squeeze a small dome of meringue 1 inch in diameter and 1 1/2 inches high onto the cookie sheet, allowing 1 inch between the meringues.
23. Bake the meringues (see "Making and baking a French meringue in the Notes section, below):
24. Bake the meringues for 45 minutes, rotating the pans multiple times.
25. If the meringues are rapidly coloring, turn off the oven.
26. After 45 minutes, turn down the oven to 200F and bake for another 1 1/2 hours, continuing to rotate the trays.
27. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to remain in the oven for 1 hour.
28. Remove the meringues from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
29. They should be hard and crisp once they have cooled.
30. Serving Suggestions: Serve these sweet crispy confections as an afternoon snack.
31. Variation:
32. Milk Chocolate-Coated Malted Meringues: (See the Note on tempered chocolate.)
33. Temper 8 ounces of milk chocolate according to the instructions.
34. Using a fork with long tines or a chocolate dipping two pronged tool, dip each meringue one at a time in the bowl of tempered chocolate, flipping it over and coating evenly.
35. Remove the meringue with the fork, letting the excess chocolate drip off.
36. Place the dipped meringues on a sheet of parchment paper and allow the chocolate coating to set.

chocolate, sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, confectionary sugar, barley malt syrup, piping bag

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/crispy-malted-bitter-chocolate-meringues (may not work)