Have you ever spent a hearty sum of money on something… and then didn’t want to use it because it was so expensive?
I sometimes feel that way about my couch. Ok… I didn’t spend a ton of money on my couch… but, well… it felt like a lot of money at the time. As a result, I feel like the couch must be treated with the proper respect. God forbid someone should try and jump on it. Heck.. if someone sits down on it too hard (is that really even possible) I look at them sideways.
And don’t even get me started on the cat. He has nooooo respect. Probably because he has noooo concept of what money is.
My couch isn’t fancy. But… I feel like the very fact that I have a couch puts me on the fancier side of fancy. I spent a lot of years without a couch.
Don’t sit down to hard on my couch… that’s all I ask. Oh! and if you’re going to park your rear end for a prolonged amount of time, please rotate seat spots. You’re mushing my cushions. Nevermind that it’s a couch made for sitting and mushing. I’m unreasonable. I know. I truly am.
I feel like these cookies echo my fancy couch sentiments.
See… they have fancy ingredients in them. Cocoa nibs and vanilla beans deserve some respect. When these two ingredients meet in a cookie, the cookie should be held in the highest esteem… even if it’s just a light, puff-of-air meringue.
Treating yourself is important. Treating yourself to a couch, and then acting unreasonably about its use might be silly. But splurging of some crunchy cocoa nibs and baking them into cookies is a slightly easier treat. And your cat won’t scratch cocoa nibs.
These meringues were inspired by Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Tartine is one of the best bakeries in the land. They’re people that do things right. It is a dream. Tartine has cocoa nib studded meringues that are perfect. You’ll want to order two… and you should… but you’ll probably only be able to eat one. Trust me.
Meringues require eggs. The brown yolk-y kind… not necessarily the wood or marble type, even though they’re pretty.
These cookies are so simple… but they have some really lovely splurge ingredients in them .
Cocoa Nibs add a crunchy, chocolate and coffee flavor. Vanilla Beans add that beautifully irresistible fragrance.
They’re special baking items… and totally worth the splurge.
I always want to swim in glossy, unbaked meringue. It’s like thick marshmallow cream.
Easily dollop with a big soup spoon. Keep it easy in the kitchen.
The parchment paper is a complete must. Parchment paper might seem like another splurge item… but it’s important. It’s not like foil. It’s only like parchment paper. There is no substitute.
Take a bite while the cookies are still on the baking sheet.
You know why? Because you’re grown. You made grown cookies. There’s no butter in them. And you you you are living a good life. Bite!
Eat off the baking tray… but please don’t forget to make things beautiful. Beautiful things always make me feel better. And! Since we’ve splurged on such lovely ingredients… we really should take out a pretty plate and brew a nice pot of coffee.
These cookies are light but crunchy. The centers are simultaneously hallow and chewy. They are a combination of delicate and rustic. Have them with hot coffee, red wine, or in bed with a glass of cold orange juice. It’s your world… and it’s a beautiful one.
Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Nib Meringues
makes 12 cookies
adapted from Food and Wine
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 vanilla bean, split and scrapped of seeds (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together granulated sugar and vanilla bean scrapings with the back of a spoon. Press the vanilla bean scrapings into the sugar until well distributed and fragrant. Set aside.
Clean and dry the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add egg whites and beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add pinch of salt and cream of tartar. Increase speed to medium high and beat to soft peaks. The egg whites will be white and foamy, with large but tight bubbles.
Gradually add the granulated sugar, increasing the mixer speed to high. Beat for about 3 minutes on high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Egg whites will be spoonable, but keep their shape when dolloped onto a baking sheet. Once thick, remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in cocoa nibs and vanilla extract (if you didn’t use vanilla bean).
On prepared baking sheet, dollop out egg white mixture by the two tablespoonful. Space about 1-inch apart, although the meringues won’t spread as they bake. Place in the oven and allow to cook for 60 to 70 minutes. Meringues will brown sightly on the top and feel hollow to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Remove from the parchment and serve with coffee or mint tea.
Meringues will last, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
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So. I always just thought that cocoa nibs were just some sort of crushed up chocolate chip that was given a fancy name to get more money out of me.
But I now realize how wrong I was. And that I need to buy some and make this. Now.
If buying these nibs means I cannot pay my rent, I am letting you know that I am sleeping on your fancy couch. It’s okay, I have fancy pajamas.
i’m working on 52 cookies over 52 weeks. adding this one to the to do list! yum!
I want to make these. And then bathe in them. Yup.
i remember making this back at the place I worked at… we used the most expensive chocolate available in our storeroom and made this. total GOOD TIMES! :)
Loved the intertwined couch story. Love this cookie idea. And, they are archerfriendly as far as food allergens go! Maybe I’ll make them as a sugar treat for a gathering…then I wouldn’t eat all of them by myself.
Hi Joy,
I have a white sofa with gold trim downstairs at my home. It is my
“formal” furniture. I have had three dogs since I bought the antique white/gold trim couch and chairs when I lived in Houston. I never let my dogs on this couch until my current Maltese, Sadie. She was persistent and continue to hop on the couch to relax even though I kept telling her “no” and making her get down. I guess I got soft. I let her lay on the sofa. I figured, “well, if she is clean and just relaxes there, what does it really hurt?” So, when I would come home and find her on the sofa in the “formal living room,” I would just ignore it. Until one day………I walked into the room and found a little hole in the arm of one of my chairs. Yes. She had started doing a little digging thing like dogs do sometimes on the arm of the chair and must have gotton a nail caught or something. Anyway, it caused a small hole in the stuffing of the arm….some of the fabric was gone and a bit of the stuffing from that one spot. When I saw it, I had an out of body experience as I am sure you can relate to by what you have posted about your sofa. So…….end of her getting on my couch. I started turning the pillows up when I would leave so that she would not hop up there. She had a good thing and blew it you might say for herself. So………keep listening to that inner self that says…..”this is very special to me” and protect it. Keep looking sideways at people…..let them think what they may……protect your couch. I now have to recover my chair. Furniture is to be sat on and enjoyed but…..there is nothing wrong with taking care of things. I can remember being a child and not being allowed in the living room. My sister, brother and I had to hang out in the den. Brings to mind the olden days of “parlors” which were for meeting company. Any hoo…….on to the cocoa nibs. I saw some over at Central Market in my area of WA State. I discovered Cocoa Nibs are not cheap…….I am going to look at the site you gave earlier and compare prices. But……I will say……my Dad always said, “It only costs a little more to go first class” so sometimes you have to say….it is okay to be fancy. It is okay to protect your sofa. I think the thing is to appreciate quality. Those who appreciate quality will just naturally treat your sofa with respect. And……they will appreciate and value the delicious recipe you post today. Thank you!
they are so pretty and VERY fancy, that’s for sure. I love your plates. You always have the best props.
I have yet to buy and use cocoa nibs, but you’ve given me a reason. Actually, it was the picture of the unbaked meringues in the mixing bowl that did me in. It also made me want to go buy a jar of Marshmallow Fluff and maybe stir in some cocoa nibs.
That looks damn’ delicious, girl. Gonna try it out real soon. Digging the imperfect, eclectic look over here.
Made these last night with chopped dark chocolate chips because I couldn’t find the nibs, and they were phenomenal! Raves from everyone, kids to adults. Thanks for such great recipes and such wonderful writing. I can’t wait to check out your cookbook.
So I started making these tonight around 11, so I could bring them to work tomorrow. They were all beautifully mixed, plopped on the pan, and in the oven. Then I read “bake them for 60-70 minutes.” Oh no! I really need to read through recipes before I make them!
SO worth it though — they’re amazing.
12 cookies? weird. ive made meringues before with 2 egg whites and it came out to be around 30-something cookies…
What do you all do with the yolks leftover from this?
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