Meringue Acorns with Salted Pistachios and Chocolate

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Every year I love to make at least one new Christmas cookie. These Meringue Acorns are a real show stopper and taste heavenly. Imagine the sweet crunch of vanilla meringue surrounded by melted chocolate truffles and covered with salty nuttiness. It’s a winner!

P.S. If you have a Costco membership, get the chocolate truffles now while they are available for the holidays; you can melt them as an easy ganache over cakes and all kinds of baked goodies. Also get the salted pistachios. There’s just something about salt and chocolate that makes me want to do cartwheels.

I’m planning to serve these at my upcoming Christmas party (if I can keep them hidden from the Mr. and the mini Mr.). My friend Victoria (whom I met on Instagram), shared this recipe with me. These cookies remind me of her; stylish, gorgeous and really great taste!

Ingredients for Meringue Acorns:

3 egg whites, room temp (you can bring them to room temp in warm water for 15 min)
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings and Coating:

1 cup  truffle chocolate (sold at Costco) or melted semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups of nuts (I used a mix of 3/4 cup salted pistachios and 3/4 cup hazelnuts)

So, P.S. I tested these with both organic sugar from Costco and regular white granulated sugar and had much prettier results with the granulated sugar. Bummer.

I think it was because the granules were bigger with the organic sugar and they didn’t blend into the eggs very well. The granulated sugar meringue also had a better crunch. (Organic sugar on the left, Granulated sugar on the right):

How to Make Meringue Acorns:

Preheat Oven to 200° F.
1. Add 3 egg whites, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp cream of tartar and beat on high speed for 7 minutes until you have glossy ribbons and the peaks stay fairly stiff. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla on high speed for another min or so or until well incorporated (scrape down the bowl if you see stray streaks of vanilla).

2. Use a 3/8″ piping tip. I used my Wilton 2A tip with a piping bag and pipe meringue kisses onto a parchment lined large cookie sheet (about 1″ apart). You want the base of your “kisses” to be about 1-inch wide.

Here’s my technique, squeeze until your base is 1″ in diameter then release pressure as you lift your bag up to create a pointy tip. Here’s a little video I posted to Instagram. This might work with a big ziploc bag and a 3/8″ round hole cut in the corner. I don’t see why not.

3. Bake at 200˚F for 1 hour 30 min. They should slide easily off the parchment paper easily when they are done. Remove from oven and pull the parchment paper off the baking sheet and let the meringues cool on the paper at room temp.

When they come out of the oven, they will be crisp on the outside a little marshmallowy on the inside, but will harden as they cool.

4. Once they cool to room temp. Grind up some nuts in a food processor by pulsing them until they are coarse crumbles. After about the 5th hazelnut, I was really wishing I had just bought the pre-shelled nuts. My poor fingers. My husband had to finish them off ;).

5. Melt some chocolate over very low heat just until melted. Dip the bottoms of the meringue kisses into the chocolate and let any excess poor off, then pat/roll the chocolaty bottom into your chopped nuts. You can also spoon the nuts onto your acorns.

P.S. If you are using chocolate truffles, you want it thin enough to coat a spoon. Don’t over melt them (they melt super fast) or it won’t coat well. If that happens, let it sit and cool down a bit so you get a real nice coating. You can also heat it back up again if needed. This chocolate isn’t as finicky as semi-sweet chocolate when it comes to re-heating.

The more nuts and chocolate, the merrier.

Come on, admit it, you want to bite that.

Credits: This recipe comes from my friend Victoria (who I met on Instagram) and was inspired by Martha Stewarts Coffee Meringue Acorns.

Meringue Acorns with Salted Pistachios and Chocolate

4.92 from 12 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Imagine the sweet crunch of vanilla meringue surrounded by melted chocolate truffles and covered with salty nuttiness.

SaveSaved Pin Review Print

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients 

Servings: 45 -50 acorns

Ingredients for Meringue:

• 3 egg whites, room temp (you can bring them to room temp in warm water for 15 min)
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings and Coating:

• 1 cup truffle chocolate, sold at Costco or melted semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups of nuts, I used a mix of 3/4 cup salted pistachios and 3/4 cup hazelnuts

Instructions

• How to Make Meringue Acorns: Preheat Oven to 200° F.
• Add 3 egg whites, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp cream of tartar and beat on high speed for 7 minutes until you have glossy ribbons and the peaks stay fairly stiff. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla on high speed for another min or so or until well incorporated (scrape down the bowl if you see stray streaks of vanilla).
• Use a 3/8" piping tip. I used my wilton 2A tip with a piping bag and pipe meringue kisses onto a parchment lined large cookie sheet (about 1" apart). You want the base of your "kisses" to be about 1-inch wide. Here's my technique, squeeze until your base is 1" in diameter then release pressure as you lift your bag up to create a pointy tip. This might work with a big ziploc bag and a 3/8" round hole cut in the corner. I don't see why not.
• Bake at 200˚F for 1 hour 30 min. They should slide easily off the parchment paper easily when they are done. Remove from oven and pull the parchment paper off the baking sheet and let the meringues cool on the paper at room temp. When they come out of the oven, they will be crisp on the outside a little marshmallowy on the inside, but will harden as they cool.
• Once they cool to room temp. Grind up some nuts in a food processor by pulsing them until they are coarse crumbles. After about the 5th hazelnut, I was really wishing I had just bought the pre-shelled nuts. My poor fingers. My husband had to finish them off ;).
• Melt some chocolate over very low heat just until melted. Dip the bottoms of the meringue kisses into the chocolate and let any excess poor off, then pat/roll the chocolaty bottom into your chopped nuts. You can also spoon the nuts onto your acorns. The more nuts and chocolate, the merrier.

Notes

P.S. I tested these with both organic sugar from Costco and regular white granulated sugar and had much prettier results with the granulated sugar. Bummer. I think it was because the granules were bigger with the organic sugar and they didn't blend into the eggs very well. They granulated sugar meringue also had a better crunch.

PPS. P.S. If you are using chocolate truffles, you want it thin enough to coat a spoon. Don't over melt them (they melt super fast) or it won't coat well. If that happens, let it sit and cool down a bit so you get a real nice coating. You can also heat it back up again if needed. This chocolate isn't as finicky as semi-sweet chocolate when it comes to re-heating.

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Meringue Acorns

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $