Chocolate Puffs (1847) ★★★

12:00 AM 1840s , 19th century , 3 stars , dessert , eggs , gluten-free , united states , victorian 0 Comments

Original Recipe:

The Verdict:
I burnt these! Every single one of them...There was like a 2 second moment between not quite done and burnt. I did manage to salvage the middles out of some of them, and I did enjoy the flavour, although the texture was "like bubblegum", in the words of Mr. Man. I thought these were supposed to be like meringues, and if that's the case I failed epically. However, despite the extra chewy texture, I would have eaten these had they not been burnt!

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from The Lady's Receipt-Book)

2 EGG WHITES
1/2 pound POWDERED SUGAR
1 1/2 ounces COCOA POWDER
POWDERED SUGAR, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until very stiff.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until all of it is incorporated. Do the same with the cocoa powder. Beat until smooth.
3. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, drop batter the size of a quarter. Use a wet spoon to smooth out the tops and edges. Immediately before baking, heavily sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
4. Bake for a few minutes, waiting until just after they puff up to remove. They will burn quickly. Let cool completely before removing from the paper.