Egg whites and cane sugar can transform into a myriad of sweets: marshmallows, meringue kisses, Swiss meringue buttercream, meringue cookies, and for us, most often macarons.
These little meringue stacked ice cream sandwiches don’t call for the laborious sifting efforts macarons do. The legwork is minimal, but you still get a chewy, ever-so-slightly crunchy base. And, you don’t need a candy thermometer or corn syrup to initiate the magic.
Surprise your sweets this Valentine’s day with something that looks a hundred times fancier than it actually is: cocoa dusted meringues layered with your favorite ice cream.
FOOD LA LA RECIPE: Valentine Cocoa Meringue Ice Cream Sandwiches
Yields: 5 stacks of 3 meringues
Ingredients:
3 egg whites (room temperature)
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 TBS cocoa powder
Ice cream (I used mint chocolate chip!)
To garnish: crushed peppermint, sprinkles, powdered sugar/cocoa powder
Steps:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl (or standing mixer) and place over a smaller pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves (2-3 minutes).
With an electric or standing mixer, whisk on medium high until stiff peaks form (About 3-4 minutes—to test, make a peak with your spoon, and if it curls over at the top, continue to beat until it stands straight up.)
Whisk in cocoa powder.
With a large spoon, dollop the meringue onto your baking sheet and smooth into a 3” circle with the back of the spoon. Repeat until all meringue has been used.
Bake for 90 minutes, or until the meringue lifts off the parchment.
Let cool completely, then layer three meringues with ice cream between. Repeat with meringues and ice cream. Freeze 3 hours or overnight.
Before serving, top with crushed peppermint, a sprinkle of powdered sugar or more cocoa, or festive sprinkles!
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe