Chocolate Toffee Meringue Cookies {Gluten & Nut Free}
Everyone should be so lucky to have friends like mine.
Meet chocolate, toffee, and meringue.
Just kidding…kinda.
These are all my friends but the friends I was actually referring to are people. Real people. People who have seen me at my worst and still love me. Rachael is my people. She has been with me through thick and thin and she has the crazy stories {hopefully not pictures} to prove it.
I knew I could count on her to share a fabulous recipe that would be both gluten free AND nut free. Plus, I’ve got “stuff” on her so if she didn’t do it I knew I could pull the “remember that time you…” card.
She is the writer, photographer, chef, head hauncho, mama extraordinaire on La Fuji Mama. You didn’t know I knew famous people, huh? I love you, Rache!
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Delicate and moist meringue cookies studded with semisweet chocolate chips and bits of buttery English toffee are delicious, inexpensive and easy to make, and gluten and nut free!! How can you lose?
This particular recipe is an adaptation from a cookie I grew up eating that we called “Forgotten Cookies” because my mom would make the meringue, then put them in the oven and “forget” about them overnight.
I provide a recipe for homemade toffee bits, but you could always use storebought bits. Just make sure, if you have a nut allergy, that you check the ingredients list, as some brands use roasted almonds to add flavor.
Recipe from Rachael of www.lafujimama.com
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup toffee bits (recipe below)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add about half of the sugar, gently sprinkling it over the whipping egg whites. Add the vanilla extract, then continue gradually adding the remaining sugar, until the meringue is very shiny and stiff. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and toffee bits.
- Spoon one tablespoon of meringue onto the lined baking sheets, then repeat with the rest of the meringue, leaving 1-inch of space between cookies. Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and then turn the oven off. Leave the cookies in the oven overnight (or for a minimum of 6 hours), undisturbed (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!). Gently remove the cookies from the baking sheets and store in an airtight container.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a clean, dry, wooden spoon until the butter is melted. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the candy is the color unblanched almonds. Immediately pour the candy, without scraping the saucepan, onto the lined baking mat. Cool completely.
- Break the cooled toffee into pieces: Break the toffee into large pieces and place them in a sturdy plastic bag. Using a rolling pin/meat tenderizer/other heavy object, pound the toffee until broken into small pieces. Store the pieces in an airtight container until ready to use.
I love meringues! These look great w/ the toffee in them, yum!
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray recently posted..Very Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Those really remind me of the snow! Great Christmas cookie to put on a plate for giving away.
Caren with a “C” recently posted..Brownie Cookbook Give-a-way!
oooh, toffee is one of my very favorite things… I need to make these!
Kris recently posted..frosty Portland
Thanks for a post on gluten free cookies! I had forgotten about meringue cookies. These will be perfect for an upcoming holiday party!!
Wow, this looks like a fantabulous variation on one of our Christmas favorites! Thanks, Krista, for getting Rachael motivated to develop it! I will definitely be trying it out!
Oh my pleasure! Now, if only I could live closer to help you eat them.
I’m visiting from La Fuji Mama’s blog. Love your cookie recipe.
Thanks for sharing. Now, I have another great recipe on my to bake list for the holiday!
Amy @ uTryIt recently posted..O OLIVE OIL & eRecipeCards Recipe Contest – Part 2–Chicken Satay with Cucumber Relish and Peanut Dipping Sauce
Thanks for stopping by Amy! This cookie will certainly be a lovely addition to any holiday celebration. Happy Holidays!
Yum! I LOVE meringue cookies. I have made a version of shortbread (or those Mexican wedding cookies) with toffee, pecans and chocolate chips–these would be SO good!
I am a huge meringue fan – these look awesome – very nice!
delishhh@delishhh.com recently posted..Braised Short Ribs
These meringue cookies look great! I love the addition of the toffee pieces! Yum!
Christina @ Sweet Pea’s Kitchen recently posted..Triple-Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
these look amazing and i love that you can “bake” them overnight! i think you just gave me my winning cookie for a cookie exchange this weekend.
question – i’ve never made meringue, when you say gradually add sugar to the egg whites, do you continue mixing it or ?
These are on my Christmas Cookie list. Nice cookies!
Kristi Rimkus recently posted..Keep it Light – Beefy Teriyaki Lettuce Cups
Oh, gosh. These look amazing! I love toffee. These meringues look like little pillows! I will have to make them!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted..Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Question / Am I reading this right – put cookies into preheated oven and then “turn oven” off and leave in closed oven overnight? No time in the heated oven? Please advise.
Thanks
You did read that correctly, Ed. The heat trapped inside the oven bakes the meringues slowly, over a longer period of time. They need to stay in the oven overnight or at least 6 hours. No peeking or the hot air will escape too quickly!
I made these and the toffee melted out of the cookies. Do you know what I did wrong? I made the toffee according to your recipe and it hardened fine and tasted good. Thanks
Hi Michelle! I’m so excited you made these! I don’t know what could have happened to the toffee. Bummer! Let me email La Fuji Mama and see what she thinks may have happened.