Coffee Meringue Kisses Food

MERINGUE COOKIES ("FORGOTTEN KISSES")

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy but not at all dry. (Be careful not to over beat.) Add the sugar gradually, about 3 tablespoons at a time. When 1/2 of the sugar has been added, add the vanilla extract. Continue beating and adding remaining sugar in batches, until all of the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very shiny and tight. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Working one teaspoon at a time, push a teaspoonful of meringue from the tip of 1 teaspoon with the back of another teaspoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1-inch of space between cookies. Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and turn the oven off. Leave the cookies (undisturbed) in the oven for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, or until cookies are crisp and dry.

COFFEE KISSES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3.
• To make the dough, combine the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour mixture using the tips of your fingers, until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
• Dissolve the coffee in 1 teaspoon of boiling water. Beat the egg until frothy and mix in the coffee. Add to the bowl and stir into the mixture with a wooden spoon.
• Tip the dough onto a well floured work surface and divide into 16 pieces. Flour your hands well then shape each piece into a neat ball. Arrange them well apart on the prepared baking trays (to allow for spreading) and bake in the heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden and firm to the touch.
• Leave to cool for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• Make a simple buttercream by beating the butter with the icing sugar and cocoa powder, if using. When very light and smooth, use to sandwich the biscuits in pairs.

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.

MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. In a small bowl, mix both sugars together. In another small bowl, mix the jam with enough food colouring to create a vibrant red colour.
• In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer. Add about a third of the sugar, whipping for 1 min or so, until stiff and glossy. Gradually add the remaining sugar until you have a glossy meringue that holds stiff peaks.
• Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/ gas 1/2. Turn your pastry bag inside out and, using a spoon, paint three lines of coloured jam from the top to almost the end of the bag. Fill with the meringue mix and twist the end to close.
• Holding the bag vertically over the tray, apply enough pressure to create a base, then quickly draw the bag upwards to create little points. The jam will give the meringues a stripy pattern as they pass through the bag.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hr or until the meringues sound hollow when you lift one and tap the base - they should have a crunchy shell and not be too chewy. Leave to cool in the oven with the door closed, then store in a plastic food bag or airtight container until ready to use.