Thyme Meringue Cookies With Boozy Apple Food

LEMON MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the lemon curd: Whisk together the granulated sugar, whole egg and egg yolk in a medium bowl.
• Heat the lemon juice in a small pot over medium heat until just simmering. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the lemon juice into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour everything back into the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a milkshake, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and incorporated.
• Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate until completely chilled and very thick, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Add the granulated sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and, using flour to keep it from sticking to your hands, roll it into a ball and place it into one of the cups of the mini muffin tin. Use your fingers to press it into the cup and up the sides. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Bake until the cookies are light golden along the edges, about 30 minutes. Using the rounded end of the handle of a wooden spoon, gently press into the divot in each cookie to make a deeper cavity. Let the cookies cool slightly in the tin, then use an offset spatula or butter knife to help transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the meringue kisses: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Put the egg white in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly stream in the superfine sugar and beat until glossy stiff peaks form.
• Transfer the mixture to a disposable pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 24 small kisses onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the meringues are beginning to dry, about 20 minutes, then turn off the oven and prop open the door with a spoon handle. Leave the meringue kisses in the oven until very dry, another 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely.
• To assemble the cookies, fill the cavity of each cookie with lemon curd. Top each with a meringue kiss.

THYME-BAKED APPLE SLICES

Steps:

• Place cider in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 2/3 cup, 18-20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter., Peel and cut each apple into eight wedges. In a large bowl, toss apples with 1/4 cup of the reduced cider and 3 teaspoons thyme. Transfer to a foil-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake 10 minutes., Drizzle with remaining reduced cider. Bake until tender, 12-15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with remaining thyme.

THYME-MERINGUE COOKIES WITH BOOZY APPLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the apple, bourbon, dark brown sugar and vinegar. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture boils and liquid reduces, about 3 minutes. Reduce the temperature to low and cover. Stir the apple mixture every few minutes, until the apples have darkened and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a food processor, pulse the walnuts and powdered sugar until the walnuts are finely ground, about a minute. Add the thyme and pulse for 10 seconds.
• In a standing mixer or using a hand-held mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until white and almost stiff, then slowly add the cane sugar and then the vanilla. Increase the speed until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are thick and glossy. Remove the beaters and gently fold in the walnut mixture in 3 additions.
• Fit a piping bag with just the base tip, so that the opening is ¾-inch wide. Rest the bag tip down in a cup while filling it. Use a rubber spatula to scoop the cookie mixture from bowl to bag, then twist the top to keep the meringue from spilling out. Holding the bag upright, squeeze gently to pipe a 1-inch circle. Lightly lift the bag to create a small peak. After all the rounds have been piped, place one small apple piece over each peak.
• Bake for 25 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the meringues cool in the oven for an hour.
• To maintain the crisp texture, leave the meringues loosely covered (not airtight) on a plate or in a bag. Makes approximately 3 dozen.