I originally made these for a friend who loves the taste of chocolate peanut butter cups but finds them too heavy. This is the perfect solution! They're so good, I now prefer these over peanut butter cups, myself. The peanut butter meringues are so crisp and light, even dipped in chocolate, they make you feel much less guilty.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes plus standing time
Total Time: 55 minutes plus standing time
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup peanut creamy butter
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 4 ounces dark chocolate
Steps:
- Heat peanut butter in a small bowl in microwave for 45 seconds so it's melted and silky. Set aside to cool down a bit.
- Add room temperature egg whites to a clean, large bowl and add a pinch of salt. Beat with mixer on low speed, then medium speed, until soft peaks form.
- Beat in the sugar and cream of tartar. Increase the speed to high and beat another 5 or so minutes until you have stiff peaks.
- Stir the peanut butter. It should be a bit warm and super silky.
- Gently drizzle the peanut butter into the egg whites and fold in.
- You can use a piping bag or carefully use a spoon to create the little meringue discs. I used one piping bag.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe or spoon little discs of meringue onto it. Bake in preheated oven at 250 degrees F for 35 minutes, until firm to touch, then shut off oven and allow to sit in warm oven for another 30 to 45 minutes.
- Melt chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for 30 second increments until smooth and silky. Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate.
- Allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl.
- Place on a tray lined with parchment paper to cool until chocolate firms back up.
- Remove the meringues from paper. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
