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These chocolate meringue nests are ridiculously sweet, unbelievably chewy with ripples of Nutella and oozing with a smooth creamy chocolate mousse filling. Plus, they look super cute – serve them up for some guests and they are sure to be a hit!

Jump down to the bottom of the post for the recipe card, or read on for some detailed instructions and tips.

Top Tips:

• Separate the eggs when they are fresh from the fridge, but then leave them for around 30 minutes to reach room temperature before beating.
• Be extremely careful that absolutely no yolk gets mixed into the egg whites. Even a small drop will prevent the mixture from reaching the desired consistency – separate the eggs into one bowl and then tip into the main mixing bowl so if a drop of egg yolk gets in you aren’t contaminating all the eggs.
• Make sure to beat the eggs enough. The egg whites need to be solid enough so that when you pull the whisk out of the mixture, there is no ‘bend’ on the peaks of the mixture – they should stay solid and upright. If you tip the bowl they should stay firmly in place without sliding around.

Why is my meringue runny?

If you’re facing a bit of a depressing runny or sloppy mixture when you add the sugar then it is most likely because you’ve not whipped the egg whites enough. When making meringue don’t underestimate how much you need to whip those eggs. It should take you a good 7-10 minutes depending on how many portions you are making.

Does it need to be refrigerated?

Meringues can be kept at room temperature, in a sealed airproof container and do not need to be kept in the fridge. They will last around 2 weeks when properly stored.

Make sure you let them cool fully before you transfer to a container. If you are stacking them then place a layer of parchment/baking paper between each layer.

Can I freeze them?

You can freeze meringue for 4-6 weeks. If you are freezing several then you can place them on a large plate or tray in the freezer until they are frozen and then transfer to a freezer-proof container and seal and place back into the freezer. This helps to make sure they don’t stick together if you are stacking them.

Defrost frozen meringues at room temperature for 4-5 hours before serving. If you stacked them up in the container then place them on a tray or rack to defrost.

What can you serve them with?

For this recipe I made the meringues with a divine, oozing chocolate mousse filling. You can add some extra garnishes like mint, icing sugar, grated chocolate or berries to add some extra flair.

You could also swap the chocolate mousse mixture for another filling of choice. Some great suggestions are:

• Whipped cream and strawberries
• White chocolate mousse
• Chocolate orange mousse

Do you need cream of tartar?

Cream of tartar is an ingredient you will commonly see on meringue recipes. However, it is absolutely replaceable if for any reason you can’t find it. The cream of tartar doesn’t add any flavour to the recipe, it simply adds acid that works to help stabilise the eggs. This helps to get really fluffy meringue.

When using cream of tartar use around 1/4 tsp for every 2 eggs in the recipe. If you are using lemon juice then double this and use 1/2 tsp for every 2 eggs.

How to make them

You can also jump to the full, printable, recipe card here.

1. Preheat the oven to 100C / 210F. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and then beat, adding a teaspoon at a time of the sugar. Add the lemon juice after the first couple of minutes of beating. Keep beating until you have stiff peaks and all the sugar is fully mixed into the mixture. You can check this by taking a small amount of the egg whites and rubbing it between you fingers – if you can still feel the grainy sugar then keep going. Don’t underestimate how long it takes to get the right consistency either – it should take a good 7-10 minutes of beating.
3. Spoon the Nutella into the mixture and stir through but not completely – you want to have ripples of the Nutella visible int he mixture. Spoon the egg white mixture into a piping bag and then carefully pipe into small nests.
4. Place in the oven for 1.5 hourS and then switch off the oven and leave them in there to cool for another hour.
5. While the meringues are baking make the mousse. Whip the cream until stiff and melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-minute bursts. You don’t want it to get too hot.
6. Mix the chocolate into the cream and mix together. Place in the fridge until needed.
7. Check the meringues are ready. You should be able to lift them from the tray without them sticking to the bottom – and they should be firm all over.
8. Spoon the chocolate mousse into the nests and garnish with sprigs of mint, berries, chocolate shavings or whatever takes your fancy.
9. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-minute bursts.

If you are looking for more great dessert recipes then check out:

• Vanilla Mug Cakes
• Individual Carrot Cakes
• Individual Yogurt Cakes
• Individual no-bake chocolate cheesecakes

Products that work well for this recipe:

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