Mocha Meringue Bark Food

MOCHA MERINGUE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place egg whites in a large bowl. In a small bowl sift coffee granules through a fine sieve to break up, pressing with a spoon as needed. Sift together 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa and coffee., Add cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Fold in coffee mixture., Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; insert a #11 round pastry tip. Add meringue; pipe 1-3/4-in. spirals 1 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets., Bake meringues until set and dry, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely before removing meringues from paper., To assemble, spread about 1-1/2 teaspoons frosting onto the bottom of half of the meringues; cover with remaining meringues. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar.

MOCHA-CHIP MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch; set aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until frothy. Beating constantly, add sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes total (scrape down the bowl halfway through). Add espresso powder and cocoa; beat until well blended. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips.
• Drop batter by level tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake until crisp, about 40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool completely on sheets, about 20 minutes.

MOCHA MERINGUES

Steps:

• Take your eggs out of the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature.
• Make sure you have two oven racks in your oven. Preheat oven to 250°F.
• In a small bowl, mix vanilla and instant coffee.
• In large bowl (or your mixer's bowl) add egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Beat on medium speed until the eggs are frothy.
• Increase speed slightly and add sugar gradually but steadily.
• Beat mixture until stiff peaks form. This should take about 10 minutes.
• Add vanilla/coffee mixture and mix until combined. Decrease speed to low and add cocoa gradually until just incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag or ziploc bag with a corner cut off, pipe meringue onto two parchment lined cookie sheets. The mounds should be no less than half an inch apart and should each be about an inch across.
• Bake for 30 minutes, then switch the two baking sheets from one rack to the other.
• Bake for another 20 minutes until the meringues are dry. Turn off the oven and leave it slightly open while the meringues crisp for about an hour.

MOCHA MERINGUES

Steps:

• Stir together vanilla and coffee granules, set aside.
• Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Increase mixer speed to medium high. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle cocoa over egg white mixture and fold in until blended. Stir in vanilla mixture and chocolate chips.
• Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
• Bake at 250 degrees F. for one hour. Do not open the oven door. Turn the oven off and prop the door slightly open. Leave the cookies in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully remove cookies with a thin metal spatula. Enjoy!