Sometimes you come upon greatness from the oddest paths. When I opened Rebecca Firth’s The Cookie Book, I landed on this Peanut Butter Cup Meringue Cookies recipe, not because of the gorgeous photo (or my absolute love of meringue), which are both strong enough reasons, but for the chapter title, called Jazz Hands.
For anyone who knows my instagram stories, you may have seen me dancing around my kitchen. What you may not know is that I grew up in a dance studio. My mom has had the studio in VT since I was two years old. Jazz Hands were a real thing in my world. Something I associate with my childhood and trips to NYC to see A Chorus Line, no less than 5 times. So, when I saw the chapter and the photo of these Meringue Cookies, I really had no choice but to make them. They are a delight and hit the flavor and texture profiles just right. They are just the right balance of sweet and salty, like a peanut butter cup candy, but with the ethereal quality I love about meringue.
You can see me create these cookies and maybe see my Jazz Hands in my Instagram video.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Glaze
- 1/2 cup (65g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp (16g) natural peanut butter
- 1-2 tbsp milk I used heavy whipping cream, because that is what I had
Chocolate Drizzle
- 1/2 cup (40g) dark chocolate finely chopped
Meringues
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt I used kosher salt, since that’s what I had
- 3/4 cup (144g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (33g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Peanut Butter Glaze
- Mix together all the ingredients for the peanut butter glaze until smooth. It should be thin enough to drizzle.
Chocolate Drizzle
- Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.
Meringues
- In a stand mixer, fitted with the whip attachment, beat the eggs, cream of tartar and salt on medium speed until foamy, then drizzle in the granulated sugar slowly. Turn up the speed to high and whip until medium stiff peaks. Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks. The meringue will be glossy and hold its shape when lifted out of the bowl.
- Scoop the meringues using a scoop or spoons and divide into 12 equal portions onto the prepared pans. Drizzle a bit of the peanut butter glaze and then the chocolate over each meringue. Not too much or they will get too heavy. Swirl the toppings into the meringue with a toothpick or knife and bake for two hours. Turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven for several hours to fully dry out. The meringues will be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Thank you, Rebecca, for sending me the book, it is fantastic!
My hubby loves peanut butter.
these are so beautiful I think they qualify as food art! But flavors including peanut butter even better, thank you for this recipe!
Hi Zoë!!! I can’t believe I haven’t yet left a comment to say thank you!!! These past couple weeks have been crazy. I so appreciate you sharing—it was such a thrill to see the video and my Meringues photographed in your gorgeous dreamy style!!! I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!! Thank you a thousand times over!!! xox
Hi Rebecca,
My great pleasure! The cookies and the book are wonderful!
xoxox z
These are incredibly easy to make and I can’t wait to see how they taste. They’re in the oven now! I must confess I have never tried making meringue before this because I was always intimidated, but this recipe showed me just how easy it is to create a beautiful dessert. Thank you, Zoë and Rebecca!
can these be put in the freezer for storage if not eaten right away?
Hi Cathy, baked meringue can get sticky and a strange texture when frozen, so Zoë suggests you try freezing one to see if you’re OK with the results before freezing all of them.