matcha dark chocolate meringue cookies

I’ve been daydreaming about cookies lately. Not any specific type, anything sweet will do. Though, of course, I wouldn’t argue with a little chocolate… or a soft, chewy texture. That’s a lie – I wouldn’t argue with any type of cookie {chewy and chocolatey or not}.

It’s not enough just to dream about them, is it? I can’t taste the sweetness, feel the crisp exterior in my mouth, between my teeth… get that lovely euphoric feeling one gets from eating a sublime dessert. A daydream also doesn’t infuse every inch of my home with the gorgeous aroma of baked goodness.

I’ve also recently been having a little bit of a love affair with matcha green tea ... and chocolate {though, that’s less of an affair and more of a long-term relationship}.

Today, I combined those two ingredients and made my daydream a reality by whipping up a batch of these Matcha Dark Chocolate Meringue Cookies. Each cookie has a delicate, pale green shell {flecked with shavings of dark chocolate} that envelopes a soft, marshmallow-like centre.

Now to decide whether or not I’m willing to share them with anyone else…

Matcha & Dark Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Makes 20-24

Ingredients:
2 egg whites, at room temperature {leave them out at room temperature for 30 minutes}
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of sea salt
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon matcha green tea powder, sifted {or whisked using a bamboo matcha whisk}
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until the egg whites are light and fluffy. With the mixer on high, add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time {wait about 5 seconds between each addition} and continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla and matcha, and then fold in the chocolate.

3. Spoon heaping teaspoons of the meringue mixture, about an inch apart, onto the parchment lined sheets {10-12 per sheet}. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, turn off the oven and open the door, and let them cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in a dry, airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week {though… they won’t last that long}.