Chocolate Cinnamon Meringues

I’ve started making ice cream for this season: strawberry and honey to start off with, for the fresh local strawberries which hit the markets this week, and the honey ice cream to go with the strawberry shortcake. Next, I think I was thinking of trying a Spanish style cinnamon ice cream, such as is used to make the mantecado. Served in a glass of iced coffee, it’s the perfect patio drink.

With all of this ice cream, comes an excess of egg whites. I don’t want to get behind this year, and waste my whites, or build a wall of Tupperware in my freezer, filled with frozen whites. So I made meringues yesterday. I generally find them a bit boring, so, with mantecado on my mind, I added dark chocolate and cinnamon. Now I’m thinking a chocolate cinnamon ice cream would be really just the thing.

Chocolate Cinnamon Meringues
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/3 C sugar
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz grated dark chocolate

1. Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 325 F.

3. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. In a small bowl, sift cinnamon and sugar together.

5. In large bowl, beat the egg whites with the vanilla on medium speed, until soft peaks form (the tips curl over prettily).

6. Gradually add the cinnamon sugar mixture, a spoon at a time, while continuing to beat the egg whites. Beat at high speed until the cinnamon sugar is mixed in thoroughly and the peaks harden (i.e. they stand up straight).

7. Gently fold in the grated chocolate.

8. Drop by rounded spoonfuls about 1.5-2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until set and dry. They should be cracked. Allow to cool on the pan for about three minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.