Chocolatey Almond Meringues

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200 F. Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside. Place egg whites and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using electric beaters or an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes.
2. While mixer is running at medium-high speed, add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue mixing until the egg white mixture is glossy, smooth, and holds stiff peaks, at least 10 minutes.
3. Add vanilla and almond extracts to the meringue, followed by the cocoa powder. Add the cocoa powder through a small strainer to remove any lumps. Fold all ingredients together until just mixed.
4. Fit a pastry bag with a large piping tip (we used a large open star tip) and fold down the top. If you don't have a pastry bag and piping tip, use a large Ziploc bag; fold bag 2 to 3 times to make a cuff on the outside of the bag. Using a spatula, transfer the meringue from the mixing bowl into the pastry or Ziploc bag. Unroll cuff and twist the top a few times to close the bag and force meringue into the bottom of the bag.
5. If you are using a plastic bag, use scissors to snip a very small corner off of the bag. Squeeze 1.5 inch circles of meringue onto cookie sheets. If it is coming out too slowly, snip hole a little bigger.
6. Place in preheated oven and bake for 2 hours. Then, turn oven off and leave the oven door partially open– with the meringues remaining in oven– for at least one additional hour.
7. Remove meringues from oven and carefully peel from paper. If they stick at all, return to the oven for another 30 minutes to finish drying out. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.