Coffee Meringue Kisses Recipes

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.

MERINGUE KISSES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C). Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites until very stiff and dry. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar slowly and continue beating until mixture holds its shape.
• Add flavoring extract. Fold in another 1/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup finely crushed nut brittle or other crushed candy.
• Drop or form into desired shapes on parchment covered cookie sheet. You can sprinkle lightly with either more crushed candy or powdered confectioner sugar, if desired. Place in oven for 30-35 minutes until set and delicately brown.
• To remove baked kisses from paper if you have a problem, lay out a hot, wet towel and place paper with kisses on towel. Let stand about 1 minute and steam will loosen kisses. Slip them off the paper with a spatula.

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.