Coffee Almond Meringues Food

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.

COFFEE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
• Grease 2 or 3 cookie sheets or use parchment paper lined sheets.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
• Fold in confectioners' sugar.
• Stir coffee granules into warm water in small bowl until dissolved.
• Fold into meringue.
• Spoon meringue into piping bag fitted with 1 1/2 inch nozzle.
• Pipe mounds onto cookie sheet, each about 1/2 inch high, 1 inch in diameter and about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake on lowest rack in oven for 35-40 minutes until dry.
• Turn oven off and let meringues stand in unopened oven until cool.
• Heat chocolate in medium saucepan on lowest heat, stirring often until melted; do hot overheat.
• Removed from heat.
• Stir until smooth.
• Dip bottoms of each meringue into chocolate (or 1 side of each meringue), allowing excess to drip back into saucepan.
• Place on foil or waxed paper-lined cookie sheets.
• Let stand in cool place until chocolate is set.
• Do not chill.
• Store in airtight containers.

COFFEE-MERINGUE ACORNS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, and whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 3 minutes. Whisk in salt and cream of tartar; remove from heat.
• Beat mixture with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue is mostly cooled, about 7 minutes. Beat in extract.
• Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch round tip (Ateco #804) and fill bag with meringue. Pipe meringue "kisses," each 1 inch in diameter, releasing pressure and pulling pastry bag straight up to create each, 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until crisp on outside and able to release easily from parchment, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth; remove from heat. Working 1 at a time, dip base of each meringue in chocolate, then coat base completely with nuts. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets and let stand until set, about 1 hour. Meringues can be made 5 days ahead and stored in a cool, dry place at room temperature.