Chocolate Meringue Cookies, Chocolate Yogurt Ganache and Honeyed Raspberries

I got about 20 smaller cookies out of this — lets say 2-inchers, but you can try big, cloud-like puffs and get 10.

For the chocolate meringue cookies:
4 egg whites
3/4 cup (170 g) sugar
3 oz bittersweet chocolate (around 60-70%, to keep it healthy)

For the honeyed raspberries:
about a cup and a half raspberries
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon orange zest

For the Chocolate Yogurt Ganache:
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, (60-70%)
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup (250 g) plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

For the chocolate meringue cookies:

1. Start by preheating that oven to 275 degrees F. It’s a low temperature, and we’re basically looking to “dry” these out, without getting a browning effect.

2. Into a bowl go the egg whites and sugar. The bowl needs to be big enough to accommodate some whipping. You can do this with an electric mixer, a handheld mixer, or just a big bowl, if you are buff enough to do this manually, with a whisk. Place your bowl over a pot of boiling water that is hopefully small enough to keep the bottom of your bowl from touching the water.

3. Don’t waste a second. Whisk quickly so that the eggs don’t start to cook into a sugar omelette. All we are trying to do is warm this mix, which should only take a moment. This will make for a much more stable meringue — one that no one is going to over-whip.

4. It will indeed start to froth up. Test it every few seconds by sticking your (hopefully recently washed) finger in there. If it feels like a nice, warm bath that you wouldn’t mind climbing into, it’s ready.

5. Go to town with the whipping. Don’t be shy and rev that engine on high! Because we heated this first, it won’t likely overwhip and curd up on us, like an unheated meringue is prone to do. This will go for about 3 good minutes.

6. While that’s working, melt your chocolate. You can microwave it for 30-second intervals, and stir in between, until it’s melted down.

7. When the meringue get’s stiff peaks, remove from the mixer, and working quickly, start drizzling the chocolate over the top.

8. Carefully, and delicately, fold this together. And be quick about it, too. The heat from the chocolate starts to degrade the lovely air we just worked so hard to whip in. Keep the strokes to a minimum to get the lovely marbling. Drizzle in a little more chocolate over the top if you want more streaks.

9. Plop these clouds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I did heaping tablespoons, which will grow to double in size in the oven. If you want a fist-sized cookie, go bigger.

10. If you want, you can use a fork to manipulate some claws out of the top. Just grab a little and pull upward in spots.

11. Pop them in the oven for about 1 hour for the smaller cookie, and 1 hour and 15 minutes for a bigger cookie. They’ll be crispy on the outside and chewier on the inside. If you want a more crispy result throughout, just dry them out longer, perhaps 15 more minutes. Let cool.

For the raspberries:

1. When you are about ready to serve, you can macerate the berries. Sugar releases the fruit’s liquid.

2. Add the honey and the zest, and stir. In a few minutes they will become juicy. It’s no big deal if you crush some of the berries while stirring.

For the yogurt ganache:

1. Pour sugar and milk into a pot, and heat them until the sugar is melted.

2. Off the heat, add the yogurt, and whisk it in.

3. Pour this over the melted chocolate and whisk it up. It will be a mousse-like, happy consistency.

You can plate this up by dropping a blob of yogurt mousse on a plate, then some raspberries, then a meringue or two, depending on how many “light” things you want to eat. Some of the raspberry juices can be drizzled around the plate too, just to be schmancy.