Chocolate Meringue Kisses
These kisses can be eaten alone or use them to top mousse or ice cream. They can also be dipped in melted chocolate. If you don't have a pastry bag use a gallon sized plastic bag, and snip of the end to give you a ½" opening. If your egg whites are not at room temperature warm them up over a bowl of hot water, this will give you the highest and lightest meringue.
Serves 8
3 ½ tablespoons (35 g) bitter cocoa powder
1 cup (150 g) confectioners' sugar
5 egg whites (3/4 cup or 155g), room temperature
2/3 cup (150g) granulated sugar
Optional
Butter plus additional cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Butter and lightly dust the baking sheet with cocoa powder or cover the baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the cocoa powder with the confectioners' sugar and sift together to eliminate any lumps.
In stand mixer beat the egg whites until firm (about 5 minutes) adding 1 ½ tablespoons sugar halfway through. As soon as the egg whites are stiff, add the remaining granulated sugar at low speed, then with a spatula, quickly fold in the cocoa-sugar mixture.
Use a pastry bag with a #6 star tube, fill it with the chocolate meringue, and make star kisses by squeezing out the meringue to form a 1"x1" mound, then stop piping and then lift and repeat. Leave about 2-inches between each kiss.
Bake in a 300°F oven for about 40 minutes. Check the color of the meringue after 15 minutes of baking. The meringues should not brown. If they do, lower the heat. When they are cooked, the meringues are hard and can easily be detached from the baking sheet.
Adapted from Lenotre.
©Julie Logue-Riordan, 2008
Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. ~Sandra Boynton
Copyright © Julie Logue Riordan, Cooking with Julie