Date A Nut Meringue Cookies Recipes

DATE-NUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F.
• In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. With the mixer on high speed, beat in salt; then gradually add sugar, about a tableshppon at a time, beating well after each addition, until whites fold stiff, glossy peaks.
• Add vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Fold in dates and walnuts.
• Drop meringue mixture by rounded teaspoonfulls onto well-greased cooking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake in a 200°F oven for 1 hour or until outside is dry and set; cookies should not turn brown.
• Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to racks and let cool completely. Store airtight.

NUTTY MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, using a hand beater, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in the chopped nuts.
• Drop the batter onto silicone mats or parchment lined baking sheets (will need 2) with a teaspoon, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Bake until the meringues are dried through, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The cookies will remove easily from the parchment or silicone mat when ready.
• Cook's Note: Do not bake on humid days. Dye these any color to suit a seasonal event. For orange cookies, add 5 drops of food coloring.

DATE NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine sweetened condensed milk and dates in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until very thick. Stir in nuts.
• Spoon about 1tsp. of filling onto a cracker. Top with another cracker to make a sandwich. Repeat.
• Combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a bowl with a mixer, beating until smooth. Add enough milk to make of spreading consistency.
• Spread frosting on top of each cookie.
• Store in an airtight container, or freeze. They are delicious frozen!

DATE AND NUT FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300ºF, place rack in center of oven.
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine and sift together powdered sugar and flour into a small bowl; set aside.
• Add one tablespoon of sugar flour mixture to chopped dates and toss to coat. Use a little more (only if needed) to keep them from being too sticky.
• *Note: Do NOT use pre chopped packaged dates unless the pkg states that they are NOT coated with anything.
• Add salt to egg whites in a mixing bowl; beat to a stiff foam (almost to the soft peaks stage).
• Add the sugar-flour mixture to the egg whites, one tablespoon at a time, beating constantly, until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Gently fold in nuts, dates and vanilla extract.
• Drop from tablespoon onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
• Shape into fingers, if desired, or leave in mounds.
• Bake for about 30 minutes. Cookies should be a very pale beige at most, not brown.
• Remove the cookies, ON the parchment paper, to cooling racks and cool completely.
• When cool, carefully peel the cookies from the parchment paper (a thin bladed knife or spatula helps)
• Store in an airtight container; use waxed paper between layers.