Chocolate-Orange Cover Meringue with Pistachio

These cookies are dramatically elegant and unusually delicious. The airy, sweet, and crispy cocoa-flavored merengue puff contains a fudged orange  chocolate counterpoint at its pistachio-coated center.



You will need:

2 cookie sheets lined with parchment
pastry bag
number 6B (1/2-inch diameter) large star pastry tube

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar, lightly spooned into the cup
• 2 Tbsp. (12 grams) unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch-processed)
• 4 large egg whites (120 grams) at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 Tbsp. + 1/2 cup (113grams) superfine sugar 

• 3 oz (85 grams) Semisweet Dark Chocolate (62% Cacao)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp orange zest, from 1/2 orange
• 3-4 Tbsp. shelled unsalted pistachio nuts, crushed

Directions:

To make the cocoa meringue, please follow the recipe here.

To make a chocolate fudge topping; break the chocolate into squares and place them, together with the butter, in the top of a double boiler set  over very hot water. The water must not simmer or touch the bottom of the double-boiler insert. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is entirely melted. Add the orange zest. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

When the meringue puffs are completely cool, spoon the chocolate fudge mixture on a top of each cookie. Coat the chocolate tops with pistachio.