Chocolate Filled Meringue Snowballs Food

CHOCOLATE-FILLED MERINGUE SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250° F. Generously grease cookie sheets with shortening.
• In medium bowl, stir powdered sugar, cookie crumbs, pecans, chocolate chips, bourbon and corn syrup until well mixed. Shape 1/2 teaspoonfuls into balls; place on sheet of waxed paper. (If necessary, flour hands to shape balls.)
• In small bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla.
• Drop balls 1 at a time into meringue. With spoon, coat well to form 1-inch balls; place on cookie sheets. Swirl top of meringue with spoon.
• Bake 30 minutes or until meringue snowballs are crisp. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

CHOCOLATE FILLED SNOWBALLS

Steps:

• Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
• Add sifted flour and pecans; blend well.
• Chill dough while unwrapping kisses.
• Shape dough around each kiss to form a ball; about 1 teaspoon. Make sure the kiss is completely covered.
• Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. They dont spread, but make sure there is space between them.
• Bake at 375°F four about 12 minutes until set but not brown.
• Cool slightly on cookie sheet then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Be careful, they are very delicate when they first come out.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar to complete the "snowball" effect.
• Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE-FILLED MERINGUES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla and salt; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved., Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spoon meringue into 6 mounds on paper. Using the back of a spoon, shape into 3-in. cups. Bake at 300° for 35 minutes. Turn off oven and do not open door; let meringues dry for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, in a bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and cocoa until smooth and fluffy. Fold in whipped topping. Process the strawberries in a blender or food processor until pureed. To serve, spoon filling into meringue shells. Top with strawberry sauce.

MERINGUES (PLAIN AND CHOCOLATE FILLED)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Have egg whites at about 70 degrees. Beat until foamy in an electric mixer or by hand. Add vanilla. While continuing to beat, add sugar one tablespoon at a time. When the mixture stands in stiff peaks on the beater, it is ready for baking. Fill a pastry bag with mixture and pipe onto parchment covered baking sheet, using star tip to create kisses. Bake about 1 hour or longer, depending on the size. Do not remove from the oven at once, but turn off the oven, open the door and leave them for at least 5 minutes. Cool gradually, away from a draft. Remove them from the sheet when cool.
• To prepare chocolate ganache, pour hot, scalded cream over chocolate. Blend until smooth. Cool.
• To fill meringues, crush the bottom lightly with the thumb while still warm. Fill the hollows with chocolate ganache.

CHOCOLATE-FILLED MERINGUE SHELLS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Add vinegar and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in cinnamon-sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved., Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon meringue into eight mounds on paper. Using the back of a spoon, shape into 3-in. cups. Bake at 250° for 30 minutes. Turn oven off and do not open door; let meringues dry in oven for 1 hour. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks., In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Spread 2 teaspoonfuls over the bottom of each meringue shell. Whisk 1/2 cup cream into remaining melted chocolate; cover and chill until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. , In a small bowl, beat remaining cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and cinnamon, beating until stiff peaks form; set aside half of cream mixture. Fold remaining cream mixture into chilled chocolate mixture; pipe into meringue shells. Dollop with reserved cream mixture; sprinkle with pecans.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES WITH CHOCOLATE FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; secure corners with masking tape. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22). Set aside.
• Make meringues: Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whiskattachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.
• Using a new small paintbrush, paint 2 or 3 stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time.
• Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, make ganache: Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let ganache cool at room temperature, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until thick enough to hold its shape, about 45 minutes. (If ganache setsbefore using, reheat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; repeat the cooling process.)
• Before serving or mailing, fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #5) with ganache. Pipe a small amount onto bottom of 1 meringue. Sandwich with another. Repeat with remaining ganache and meringues. Transfer to wire racks; let set 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE FILLED MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with a mixer until foamy.
• Gradually add the 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 Tbs at a time, until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved - about 2-4 minute.
• Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and chopped pecans.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with aluminum foil.
• Dip a finger in the Tbs of powdered sugar and make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
• Place in the oven and immediately turn the oven OFF. Don't open the door for at least 8 hours.
• Remove from oven, and carefully peel cookies from foil.
• Combine butter, cocoa, and half and half in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Add the 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar and beat well with an electric mixer.
• Stir in remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla.
• Just before serving, pipe cocoa mixture into the indentation of each cookie with a star tip - if you have one.