Coffee Pecan Meringue Sandwich Cookies 1995 Recipes

COFFEE-PECAN MERINGUE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with foil; butter and flour foil. Combine 1 cup pecans, 3 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and salt in processor; grind finely. Add 1 1/2 ounces (about 1/4 cup) chocolate and 1 cup nuts and process just until pecans are coarsely chopped, using about 10 on/off turns.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup brown sugar, beating until mixture is very stiff, about 4 minutes. Fold in nut mixture and instant coffee (crystals will not dissolve).
• Drop batter by scant tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing evenly. Lightly press pecan half onto each cookie. Bake until meringues are dry, about 55 minutes. Cool completely on sheets.
• Place 1 tablespoon ice cream on bottom side of 1 meringue. Gently press bottom side of another meringue onto ice cream. Place on baking sheet; freeze. Repeat with remaining meringues and ice cream. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Melt 3 ounces chocolate in top on double boiler set over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over sandwiches. Cover and freeze. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

PECAN TOFFEE MERINGUE WITH MULLED PEARS

Steps:

• Put the wine, pears and sugar in a pan and simmer for 10 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C/gas 3. Draw a 25cm circle on a sheet of baking parchment, then put on a baking sheet. Stir 225g sugar and cornflour together in a jug. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar mixture, a tbsp at a time, until thick and glossy.
• Fold in vinegar and half the nuts, then pile mixture onto the circle, building up the edges to make a 'nest'. Scatter with rest of pecans then put in oven, turning the temperature down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Bake for 1 hr, then turn oven off and cool inside for 1 hr.

PECAN-MOCHA MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Press brown sugar and cocoa powder through sieve into small bowl to remove any lumps; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites, coarse salt, and cream of tartar in medium bowl until very soft peaks begin to form. With mixer running, gradually add sugar, then espresso powder; beat until medium peaks form. Beat in brown sugar mixture by tablespoonfuls. Continue beating until meringue is very stiff and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in chopped pecans and chocolate chips, if desired. Drop mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Place 1 pecan half atop each meringue, pressing very lightly to adhere.
• Bake meringues until dry but still slightly soft when pressed with finger, about 25 minutes. Turn off oven. Cool meringues in oven with door closed until crisp, about 1 1/2 hours. DO AHEAD: Meringues can be made up to 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE CHIP & PECAN MERINGUE BARS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, cream butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Press into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan., With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining brown sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until brown sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until thick and glossy. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Spread over dough in pan., Bake on a lower oven rack until meringue is lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Using a serrated knife, cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

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.

PECAN MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• 2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg white until stiff and gradually add the sugar, salt, and desired spice. Beat until the mixture looks shiny. Stir in the nuts.
• 3. Using two spoons, place full teaspoons of the mixture on the sheet, leaving 1 1/2 inches between each cookie. Flatten out the tops.
• 4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cookies appear dry on top. Use a spatula to gently remove the warm cookies from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Store in a sealed jar.

COFFEE MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 250 degrees.
• 2. Use nonstick cookie sheets, or line regular cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• 3. In a food processor with a metal blade, process the sugar and coffee powder until the texture of the sugar becomes very fine.
• 4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and vanilla extract with an electric mixer at medium speed, until very frothy.
• 5. Add cream of tartar, and continue beating at medium speed until soft peaks form.
• 6. Increase beater speed to high, and gradually beat in sugar-coffee mixture.
• 7. Continue beating until soft peaks form and mixture has a glossy sheen.
• 8. To pipe cookies from pastry bag: Fill pastry bag (or 1-gallon freezer bag), fitted with Number 6 plain round pastry tube, with meringue.
• 9. Hold bag upright over prepared cookie sheets and squeeze out meringue, leaving pastry tip buried in meringue, until you have piped out a round about 1 1/2\" in diameter.
• 10. Lift up tip and stop squeezing.
• 11. Leave 1\" between cookies or, drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet, leaving 2\" between cookies.
• 12. Bake 1 hour without opening oven door. Turn off oven, and let meringues dry in oven 2-3 hours more without opening oven door.
• 13. (After the first hour, it\'s okay to peek just once.)
• 14. Remove the meringues from the cookie sheet with a spatula.
• 15. Store in airtight container--makes about 3 dozen.

CHOCOLATE COFFEE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350. Place 1 T. coffee granules and 2 T. hot water in medium bowl; stir until dissolved. Stir in brownie mix, 1/2 cup butter, flour and egg.
• Place coarse sugar into small bowl. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.
• Place 2 t. coffee granules and 2 T. hot water in small cup; stir until dissolved. Beat 1/4 cup butter in medium bowl at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with dissolved coffee granules, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Stir in corn syrup.
• Spread 1 t. buttercream onto bottom-side of 1 cookie. Top with another cookie, bottom-side down.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MERINGUE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 225°. In a small bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar and almond flour until blended. Beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the 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 confectioners' sugar mixture., Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a #805 round pastry tip. Pipe 1-in.-diameter cookies 1 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a finger moistened with water, smooth tops of cookies., Bake 40-45 minutes or until firm to the touch. Turn oven off (do not open oven door); leave cookies in oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool completely on baking sheets., Place semisweet and unsweetened chocolates in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, combine cream and corn syrup; bring just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Remove 1 cup ganache to another bowl; refrigerate 25-30 minutes or until mixture is thick enough to pipe, stirring occasionally. Reserve remaining ganache for dipping; let stand, covered, at room temperature, stirring occasionally., Transfer chilled ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a #802 round pastry tip.Pipe onto bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. (Ganache may soften as it warms. If necessary, return ganache to refrigerator until firm enough to pipe.), Place toppings in separate shallow bowls. Dip each sandwich cookie halfway in room temperature ganache; allow excess to drip off. (If necessary, warm ganache in microwave for 10 seconds to thin slightly.) If desired, dip ganache in coarse sugar or crushed peppermint candies; place on waxed paper and let stand until set. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.