Coffee Meringue Kisses Recipes

MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat egg whites until foamy. Sprinkle with cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until stiff peaks form, about 5-8 minutes. If desired, divide batter in half and fold in red and green food coloring. , Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 1-1/2-in. apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie and cover it with meringue, using a knife. , Bake at 275° for 30-35 minutes or until firm to the touch. Immediately remove to a wire rack to cool. If desired, sprinkle with cocoa. Store in an airtight container.

COFFEE MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees.
• Use nonstick cookie sheets, or line regular cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a food processor with a metal blade, process the sugar and coffee powder until the texture of the sugar becomes very fine.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and vanilla extract with an electric mixer at medium speed, until very frothy.
• Add cream of tartar, and continue beating at medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Increase beater speed to high, and gradually beat in sugar-coffee mixture.
• Continue beating until soft peaks form and mixture has a glossy sheen.
• To pipe cookies from pastry bag: Fill pastry bag (or 1-gallon freezer bag), fitted with Number 6 plain round pastry tube, with meringue.
• Hold bag upright over prepared cookie sheets and squeeze out meringue, leaving pastry tip buried in meringue, until you have piped out a round about 1 1/2\" in diameter.
• Lift up tip and stop squeezing.
• Leave 1\" between cookies or, drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet, leaving 2\" between cookies.
• Bake 1 hour without opening oven door. Turn off oven, and let meringues dry in oven 2-3 hours more without opening oven door.
• (After the first hour, it\'s okay to peek just once.)
• Remove the meringues from the cookie sheet with a spatula.
• Store in airtight container--makes about 3 dozen.