(This recipe is found in Claire Robinson’s 5 Ingredient Fix cookbook.)
Step by Step Instructions:
To make this dessert, the following ingredients are needed: Salt, Sugar, 4 Egg Whites, Mini Chocolate Chips, Espresso Powder (I just ground up a couple of tablespoons of espresso beans but Instant Espresso Powder is what the recipe calls for), and Blanched Slivered Almonds (blanched = almonds with no skins).
Begin by preheating the oven to 250 degrees! Very important, say it with me: Two Hundred and Fifty degrees. (Just sayin’.) Then in a food processor, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 cup of blanched almonds.
Pulse the almonds and sugar until they are the consistency of corn meal. Reserve the almond flour for later.
Next up, put 4 egg whites (be sure no yolk sneaks into the bowl or you’ll be wasting your time) and a pinch of salt into a mixer, like my lovely Kitchen Aid. You’ll want to use the whisk attachment and whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks:
This is what they will look like with soft peaks in the egg whites. You’ll want them to be light and airy, and the peaks will not entirely hold their shape.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of espresso powder in a bowl…
…and it will look like this.
At a low speed, sprinkle in a spoonful of the espresso and sugar mixture into the egg whites at a time. Then turn up the mixer to a high speed for 5 minutes or so (keep an eye on it because you don’t want to over mix the egg whites) until you have stiff peaks, as seen in the photo above.
With the remaining 1/4 cup of almonds, chop them finely and set them aside.
The almond flour is then added to the meringues.
Then carefully fold in the almond flour until completely combined.
Pour the meringue into the center of a lined cookie sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread the meringue into an even layer.
Sprinkle 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips (yum!) and 1/4 cup of chopped almonds over the meringue. Bake the meringue at 250 degrees for an hour. Then leave the meringue in the oven and shut off the heat and allow it to dry out in the oven for an additional hour.
Pull out the meringue and let it cool bit. Then it’s time to begin carefully pulling the meringue off of the lined cookie sheet and breaking it into large pieces like a typical bark dessert (think of almond bark). The best part is that it’s a fat free dessert! Go on and start whipping up those egg whites…you won’t regret it!
Mocha Meringue Bark
Makes 4 to 6 Servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds, divided
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Preparation Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
3. Put 1/4 cup blanched almonds and 1 teaspoon of sugar into a food processor and pulse until it resembles cornmeal; reserve. Finely chop the remaining almonds.
4. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt until very soft peaks have formed. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and the espresso powder. With the mixer running on low, slowly add in the sugar and espresso powder, 1 tablespoon at a time, whipping just to a stiff peak (do not overbeat). Gently fold in the reserved almond flour.
5.With a large offset spatula, spread the meringue batter on the lined baking sheet in an even layer, about 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle the finely chopped almonds and chocolate chips evenly over the surface of the meringue; bake for 1 hour and turn the oven off, leaving hte meringue in the oven to dry out further and cool for an additional hour.
6. To serve, break the meringue into pieces.
Note: Leftover meringue can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature in a dry, cool place for up to 3 days. If the meringue gets chewy, put it back into a 200 degree oven for about 30 minutes, turn off the oven, and let it dry inside the oven while it cools.
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