Mudslide Meringues — Photo:
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Active Time:

50 mins

Total Time:

1 hrs 15 mins

Yield:

About 4 dozen

Swirled with chocolate syrup and a creamy concoction of vodka, coffee liqueur, and Baileys Irish Cream, the mudslide cocktail gives off adult chocolate milk vibes. To distill the cocktail’s essence into a cookie, baker Laurie Ellen Pellicano pairs light and silky espresso meringue with a rich chocolate base to yield a cloudlike, chewy treat with a shattery, marble-streaked exterior. This cookie has a transcendent texture comparable to eating only the crispy part of the brownie. Did we mention it's gluten-free? This recipe uses white rice flour to create that light and tender texture. Avoid overmixing the batter for the most eye-catchingly dramatic, swirly, and craggy cookies. Try sandwiched with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream for an extra special treat.

Ingredients

Chocolate Base

5 large eggs
12 ounces dark chocolate fèves or bars, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3 ounces)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup white rice flour (about 2 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) coffee liqueur (such as St. George NOLA)
8 ounces milk chocolate fèves or bars, roughly chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)

Meringue

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons espresso granules

Directions

Make the chocolate base:

Separate 3 of the eggs into 2 small bowls. Set egg yolks aside, reserving egg whites for meringue. Fill a medium saucepan with water to a depth of 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium. Combine dark chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl, and place over saucepan, ensuring bottom of bowl doesn’t touch water. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove chocolate mixture from heat (reserve water bath, but remove from heat), and let cool 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together granulated sugar, rice flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Add reserved egg yolks and remaining 2 eggs, 1 at a time, to chocolate mixture in bowl, whisking well to combine after each addition. Whisk in coffee liqueur. The mixture will initially look greasy and broken; continue whisking until it comes together into a smooth, glossy batter, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sugar–rice flour mixture; using a rubber spatula, fold to combine. Fold in milk chocolate. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the meringue:

Preheat oven to 325°F with racks in upper third and lower third positions. Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Combine powdered sugar, salt, and reserved egg whites in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk by hand until well combined. Return water in saucepan to a simmer over medium. Place mixer bowl with powdered sugar mixture on top of pan, ensuring bottom of bowl doesn’t touch water. Cook, whisking occasionally, until hot to the touch or mixture registers 120°F on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer bowl to stand mixer. Beat with whisk attachment on high speed until mixture is very thick and forms glossy, stiff peaks, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, and beat in instant espresso granules until dissolved, about 30 seconds.
Using a rubber spatula, spread one-third of meringue mixture over surface of chocolate base in bowl. Using gentle, exaggerated movements, fold the 2 mixtures together so that it remains marbled, about 2 folds. Repeat process with the next one-third of meringue mixture, spreading it over the surface and gently folding the mixtures together with 1 to 2 folds. Repeat process with remaining one-third of meringue mixture, leaving expressive streaks through the batter. (As you scoop the dough, it will continue to combine, so it’s better to undermix than overmix.)
Using a 1 3/4-inch (about 1 1/2-tablespoon) cookie scoop, scoop rounded spoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 2 sheets at a time in preheated oven until cookies puff slightly, crack along sides, and feel dry on the outside but soft in the center, 12 to 14 minutes per batch, rotating baking sheets between top and bottom racks after 10 minutes of baking time. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack. Let cool completely on baking sheets, about 30 minutes.