Chocolate Almond Meringues

A light and airy chocolate-almond confection.

Ingredients

1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting
1/3 cup Mandelin Blanched Almond Flour or Mandelin Natural Almond Flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup very finely chopped bittersweet chocolate or finely chopped store-bought chocolate chips

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 300°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift together the confectioners' sugar, almond flour, and cocoa.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large dry bowl, whip the egg whites and salt on medium speed until the whites are opaque.
Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to whip as you add the sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time. Then whip until the whites are firm and hold stiff peaks - they should still be very shiny.
Beat in the vanilla, and remove the bowl from the mixer.
With a large rubber spatula, quickly but gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the chopped chocolate. The whites will inevitably deflate as you fold in the dry ingredients – just try to work rapidly and use a light touch so they deflate as little as possible.
Drop the meringue by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. Dust the tops of the meringues very lightly with confectioners' sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 200° and bake for 1 hour more. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the meringues to stand in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) until they reach room temperature.
Carefully peel the meringues off the parchment.

Makes about 30 cookies.