I am a chocoholic. I cannot get enough of it. It’s my kryptonite.
And nothing beats South African chocolates…Crunchie, Peppermint Crisp, Bar-One, Whispers, and Top Deck.
So it’s no surprise that whenever I head back to South Africa or someone comes to visit, I have them load their cases to overflowing with all my favorites.
I also love a good meringue, so I decided to make little cups and loaded them up with lots and lots of chunky chocolates.
It goes without saying that this dessert earned me lots of kisses from Jade and compliments from our friends.
Try it out and enjoy the sugar coma that follows.
xxxMM
Meringue Cups with South African Chocolate
Ingredients
For the Meringue Cups
- 6 room temperature egg whites
- 2 cups sugar
- Pinch of fine salt
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 2 Peppermint Crisp chocolates
- 2 Crunchie chocolates
- 1 pack whispers halved
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ TBS cocoa powder
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 225 F/110 C.
For the Meringue Cups
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. On each piece of parchment paper, trace six 3-inch circles with a pencil.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy (2 mins). Add the salt & cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Slowly add the sugar a tablespoon at a time over 10 minutes until the mixture is thick, shiny, and holds stiff peaks. Add the vanilla extract and fold it in with a spatula.
Using a rubber spatula, gently transfer the meringue to a clean pastry bag fitted with a large circular or star tip, depending on the look you want to achieve.
Starting at the center of each circle, pipe a circle of meringue. When you reach the outer rim of the circle, pipe 1 to 2 additional layers on top of the border.
Bake for 1 ½hours. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
Gently peel the meringues off of the parchment. Cool completely.
To Assemble
Coarsely chop the Peppermint Crisp and Crunchie chocolates. Halve the Whispers with a knife.
Just before serving, whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and continue whipping on medium speed until the soft peaks return, 2 minutes.
Spoon the whipped cream into each of the meringue cups. Scatter with the chunks of crunchie, peppermint crisp, and whispers. Serve immediately.
SERVES 12
Notes
Meringue cups can be made 3 to 4 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place.
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