Almond Meringue Kisses Kitchen Aid Recipes

ALMOND MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Place racks in the center of your oven and preheat to 200°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a food processor grind the 1/4 cup of whole raw almonds until they are the desired ground for sprinkling, set aside. Using a stand mixer (or handheld electric mixer), make sure the bowl and whisk are clean of any grease (this is very important to ensure a successful meringue). At low to medium speed, whip egg whites until foamy. Add the 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and whip until you reach soft peaks. Slowly add the caster sugar. Whip mixture until you reach stiff peaks (Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved by rubbing the mixture between your fingers, if it feels sandy then keep whipping). Add the almond extract and combine.
• Using a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch star tip (or just a gallon size zip lock freezer bag), fill the bag with the meringue, carefully, using a baking spatula (before piping the kisses, put a dot of meringue under the corner of the parchment to keep it from sliding, this acts as a "glue"). If using a freezer bag, cut a 1/2 wide opening in one of the corners after you are done filling it with the meringue. Pipe the meringue kisses onto the 2 baking sheets. You can make them whatever size you prefer. I suggest making them about 1-inch, give or take a little, so they are "bite-sized" and plentiful. Dust them with the ground almonds evenly.
• Bake the meringue kisses for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. You might want to rotate the sheets 90 degrees to ensure even baking but do this after the first half of the baking is done so that they do not crack. I personally, never had to rotate them but everyone's oven is different. You will know they are done when they easily release from the parchment, they should also be pale in color and crispy. When they are done, after you have checked them, turn off the oven, leave the sheets in the oven and let them dry out overnight with the oven door open a crack. They will store in a dry, airtight container for several days. Do not store them in the refrigerator as these cookies are sensitive to moisture and will get sticky if exposed to moisture.

MERINGUE KISSES (ALMOND/ORANGE/STRAWBERRY/MINT/COCOA VARIATIONS)

Steps:

• Preheat over to 225 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar with cornstarch and reserve. In a medium bowl, with electric mixer on high speed beat together egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Reduce mixer speed to medium and gradually beat in reserved sugar-cornstarch mixture until incorporated. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Increase mixer speed to high and beat for five minutes, scraping down sides of bowl several times, until stiff and glossy peaks form. If using a pastry bag, fill with mixutre otherwise drop little rounded mounds of meringue with a tablespoon spacing 1/2 inch apart.
• For crisp meringues, bake in preheated oven until firm to the touch and crisp throughout, about 1 1/2 hours, turning baking sheet once from front to back halfway through baking. For chewier meringues, bake about 1 1/4 hours, rotating sheet once halfway through baking.
• Cool meringues slightly on baking sheet on wire rack. Transfer meringues to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
• ORANGE KISSES:.
• Follow directions, substituting one teaspoon orange extract for vanilla and almond extracts and adding 12 drops orange food coloring.
• STRAWBERRY KISSES:.
• Follow directions, substituting 1 1/2 teaspoons strawberry extract for vanilla and almond extracts and adding 12 drops red food coloring.
• MINT KISSES:.
• Follow directions, substituting 1/4 teaspoon mint extract for vanilla and almond extract and adding 12 drops green food coloring.
• COCOA KISSES:.
• Follow directions, substituting 1 1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract for vanilla and almond extracts. After beating egg white mixture, sift 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder over mixture and fold it gently in until thoroughly blended.

NAN'S MERINGUE KISSES - EASY TO BE CREATIVE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250º degrees.
• Beat egg white & salt with mixer until frothy or fluffy. Add sugar very slowly while still using mixer.
• Beat until a stiff peak forms and sugar is dissolved.
• Fold in by hand vanilla.
• Spoon (teaspoonful) onto lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake 40-45 minutes.
• Let cool slightly before removing to cooling rack.
• Store in airtight container.
• You can add (1/4 cup per batch or desired amount) chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, mint chips, etc. Fold these in last.
• You can also substitute the vanilla with any flavor extract. I have used cherry extract with chocolate chips. These were excellent.
• You can also add a couple drops of food coloring to the desired flavor of the kiss. If you use a drop of yellow with a drop of red to get an orange color you can use chocolate chips to have a Halloween kiss.
• I don't suggest using wet ingredients such as maraschino cherries, pineapple, etc.

MERINGUE KISSES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C). Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites until very stiff and dry. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar slowly and continue beating until mixture holds its shape.
• Add flavoring extract. Fold in another 1/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup finely crushed nut brittle or other crushed candy.
• Drop or form into desired shapes on parchment covered cookie sheet. You can sprinkle lightly with either more crushed candy or powdered confectioner sugar, if desired. Place in oven for 30-35 minutes until set and delicately brown.
• To remove baked kisses from paper if you have a problem, lay out a hot, wet towel and place paper with kisses on towel. Let stand about 1 minute and steam will loosen kisses. Slip them off the paper with a spatula.

ALMOND KISSES

Steps:

• Microwave the butter in your mixing bowl to melt it.
• Add the sugar, vanilla, almond extract and molasses.
• Stir until blended.
• Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Mix well.
• Grind up the almonds. Add them to the bowl and mix.
• Beat the eggs, then pour in and stir.
• Add the flour and mix all the ingredients until thoroughly blended.
• Let dough firm up for a few minutes.
• Form into walnut-sized balls and arrange on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet.
• Cut the Hershey's kisses in half so that each has a point and a base. Press the halves in the middle of your cookie balls, cut side down.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to finishe cooling.

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, gradually add the sugar and then continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the almond extract.
• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a star pastry tip and pipe 1-inch meringues onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven but leave the meringues inside with the door cracked open until the meringues are completely cooled and dry, about 2 hours more. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.