Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies | Weight Watchers Recipe - Live Laugh Rowe (2024)

FAQs

Why are meringue cookies chewy? ›

Chewy meringues are the result of two possible situations, under-baking and humidity.

As it draws in moisture, the meringues become sticky and soft instead of dry and crisp.

However, if the meringue is severely over- or under-mixed, it can cause hollow shells. Whether the meringue is over- or under-whipped, the structure of the meringue is compromised. The structure of the meringue is what gives macaron batter its unique consistency, so this can be a big problem.

You can't overbeat meringue - It's true! You can't ruin it by mixing too much, so once all of the sugar is added, be sure that your meringue is glossy and that you have super firm, stiff peaks when you remove the beater from the mixer. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if it appears too soft.

Meringue is sensitive to humidity, so if you want to keep it crisp on the outside, you need to store it in an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge or freezer, as long as it is well sealed. If you bake it on a humid day, you should move it to the container as soon as it has cooled.

I heat the oven to relatively high, then turn it right down as soon as the meringue is in, so it puffs up.” As Lepard says, “You are not so much cooking meringue as drying it out, so there's no great mystery to a chewy one: just cook it for less time than you normally do.”

Meringues are very sensitive to humidity. They become sticky and chewy. But this is very easily fixed by placing them into the fridge. You can either store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks or you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of weeks.

After turning the oven off, you can leave meringue cookies inside to finish drying out. Crack the oven door if you're worried the heat will be too high. You can also use the oven to re-crisp soggy or stale meringues. Put them in at a low temperature for ten minutes.

Egg whites entrap more air while contributing more water, encouraging steam and gluten formation: perfect conditions for lean cookies that are thick and puffy. Cakey. Yolks cut the water and throw in fat, hindering both gluten development and aeration, producing cookies that are dense, tender, and rich.

The origin of meringue

It was invented in 1720 by the Swiss pastry chef Gasparini, although some sources say it already existed then and was only improved by this illustrious chef. French and Italian chefs each created their own version, so today there are three different types of meringue: French, Italian, and Swiss.

How do you make meringues not chewy? ›

Don't make meringues on humid days. Humidity causes meringues to be sticky and chewy. Bake meringues at low temperatures because they tend to brown quickly. We recommend 200°F for 1 hour or until dry.

One of the most common mistakes is not beating the eggs long enough, or on too slow a speed, which means the egg whites won't reach stiff peak stage and instead only reach a soggy droopy stage.

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

Double Your Yolks Most cookie recipes call for at least one egg. You can try omitting the white of each egg, which tends to dry out when baked, and replacing it with an additional yolk. Plus, egg yolks have more fat than egg whites, which helps to keep your cookies moist and chewy.