Recipe Courtesy of the Missouri Egg Council
These delicate clouds of meringue are drop cookies, the easiest type of cookie you can make. Once you’ve beaten egg whites with sugar and folded in ground nuts, simply drop the batter from a spoon or push it through a pastry bag or a food-storage bag onto cookie sheets. Then, bake the Meringue Kisses in a very low oven, turn off the heat and “forget” the cookies while they finish drying in the cooling oven. For this versatile cookie, you can use any ground nut you like, from pistachio to macadamia or no nuts at all, as in some of the variations.
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup super-fine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (8 oz.) ground almonds
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites on low-medium speed until the whites become foamy.
Add the cream of tartar and turn speed up to medium, beating until just fluffy.
Add the sugar gradually, so it incorporates into the whites slowly without collapsing them.
Rub just a bit of meringue between thumb and forefinger to feel if sugar has dissolved.
When all the sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla and increase the speed to high, whisking until the meringue is firm and glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Gently fold in almonds.
Drop by tablespoonfuls or pipe through pastry tube or food-storage bag onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake in preheated 225° F oven until firm, about 1 hour. Turn off oven. Let stand in oven with door closed until cool, dry and crisp, at least 1 additional hour.
Store in tightly sealed container with waxed paper between layers. (If stored cookies lose crispness, bake in preheated 200° F oven about 15 to 20 minutes.)
Variations:
Use amounts listed for 1 batch of cookies. To make 2 variations at a time, divide meringue mixture equally between 2 bowls. Fold 1/2 the ingredient amounts listed for each variation into 1 of the bowls. For all variations, omit ground almonds.
Chocolate – Beat in 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Citrus – Beat in 2 tablespoons grated orange peel, 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract and a few drops yellow food coloring.
Mint/Chocolate Chip – Beat in 1/2 teaspoon mint extract and a few drops green food coloring. Fold in 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels.
Rocky Road – Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Fold in 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels and 1 cup chopped nuts.
Makes about 60 cookies
Egg information: www.incredibleegg.org
