Raspberry Meringues

Normally, when I think "Christmas cookies," gingerbread, chocolate, and sugar cookies are the first thing that come to mind. So when I saw this recipe, I couldn't resist making them!

The trickiest thing about making meringues is trying to decide when they're baked through. Since you bake them on a lower-than-normal-for-cookies oven setting to keep them from turning brown, it's a bit of a challenge. I found that (as long as I moved slowly) if I carefully touched the cookie and it felt firm, they were finished. 

You can adjust the intensity of the raspberry flavor pretty easily, but if you don't necessarily like raspberries, you can definitely exchange it for another flavor! Strawberry anyone? 

The hardest thing outside of baking them was waiting for that chocolate to set so that I could try one! ;)

Happy eating,

~HB~ 

Raspberry Meringues (idea from Taste of Home) 

3 egg whites 

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 

Pinch salt 

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon raspberry extract 

5 to 8 drops red food coloring, optional 

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

4 T. heavy whipping cream

  

Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Beat in extract and food coloring if desired.

Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a large star tip (I used a 1M tip). Fill bag with egg white mixture.

Pipe 1-1/4-in.-diameter cookies onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 300° for 20-25 minutes or until set and dry. (Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour.) Remove from oven and slide parchment paper onto your counter.

In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and whipping cream; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; let dry.

Store in an airtight container.                                           Yield: 4 dozen