Meringue Kisses Almond Recipes

ALMOND MERINGUE KISSES

Steps:

• Place racks in the center of your oven and preheat to 200°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a food processor grind the 1/4 cup of whole raw almonds until they are the desired ground for sprinkling, set aside. Using a stand mixer (or handheld electric mixer), make sure the bowl and whisk are clean of any grease (this is very important to ensure a successful meringue). At low to medium speed, whip egg whites until foamy. Add the 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and whip until you reach soft peaks. Slowly add the caster sugar. Whip mixture until you reach stiff peaks (Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved by rubbing the mixture between your fingers, if it feels sandy then keep whipping). Add the almond extract and combine.
• Using a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch star tip (or just a gallon size zip lock freezer bag), fill the bag with the meringue, carefully, using a baking spatula (before piping the kisses, put a dot of meringue under the corner of the parchment to keep it from sliding, this acts as a "glue"). If using a freezer bag, cut a 1/2 wide opening in one of the corners after you are done filling it with the meringue. Pipe the meringue kisses onto the 2 baking sheets. You can make them whatever size you prefer. I suggest making them about 1-inch, give or take a little, so they are "bite-sized" and plentiful. Dust them with the ground almonds evenly.
• Bake the meringue kisses for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. You might want to rotate the sheets 90 degrees to ensure even baking but do this after the first half of the baking is done so that they do not crack. I personally, never had to rotate them but everyone's oven is different. You will know they are done when they easily release from the parchment, they should also be pale in color and crispy. When they are done, after you have checked them, turn off the oven, leave the sheets in the oven and let them dry out overnight with the oven door open a crack. They will store in a dry, airtight container for several days. Do not store them in the refrigerator as these cookies are sensitive to moisture and will get sticky if exposed to moisture.

ALMOND KISSES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Start with Alton's Sugar Cookie Dough recipe.
• On a work surface, knead the flour into the Sugar Cookie Dough until well combined. Add chopped almonds and almond extract and knead dough until evenly incorporated.
• Scoop level tablespoons of dough and roll into smooth balls between the palms of your hands. Place balls about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes. Bake until set and golden on the bottom, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Stir the confectioner's sugar and sanding sugar together in a shallow dish.
• While cookies are still warm, roll in sugar mixture with a fork until completely coated, gently pressing cookies into mixture to adhere the sanding sugar. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F.
• Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they hold soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup superfine sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat at high speed until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, 1 to 3 minutes. Fold in remaining 1/4 cup sugar gently but thoroughly.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Put a small dab of meringue on all 4 corners of each sheet, then turn paper over, pressing on corners to adhere parchment to baking sheets.
• Spoon meringue into pastry bag. You will be making 4 lattice cookies on each sheet, so work in 1 quadrant for each: Pipe 4 (4-inch-long) diagonal lines, about 5/8 inch apart, then pipe 4 (4-inch-long) parallel lines diagonally across original 4 lines, 5/8 inch apart, to form a lattice. Make 3 more lattice meringues on same baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle half of almonds over meringues. Pipe 4 more lattice meringues on second baking sheet in same manner, then sprinkle with remaining almonds.
• Bake meringues in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and pale golden, about 1 hour total.
• Cool meringues completely on sheets on racks, about 1 hour, then carefully peel from parchment.

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.

CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMOND MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass or metal bowl until foamy and soft peaks form. Gradually add white sugar, continuing to beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites will form sharp peaks.
• Mix ground almonds and confectioners' sugar together in a separate bowl; fold into egg white mixture. Transfer mixture to a piping bag; pipe mixture into 2-inch long by 1/2-inch thick mounds onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are dry and lightly golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching.
• Dip each cookie in the melted chocolate using a fork until cookie is completely coated. Shake off excess chocolate. Arrange cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheets; refrigerate until set.

MERINGUE KISSES FROM ENTERTAINING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil.
• Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla and continue beating. Add the sugar 1 teaspoon at a time, beating about 30 seconds between additions. When all the sugar has been added, beat an additional 6 minutes. Egg whites should be very stiff, glossy, and extremely smooth, but not dry.
• Spoon the mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip and pipe out "kisses," leaving 1-inch spaces. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meringues are dry to the touch and can be lifted from the foil. Cool completely before storing in a cool dry place.

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Butter parchment. Beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in powdered sugar, almonds and lemon juice (meringue will deflate and will no longer be stiff).
• Drop meringue by level tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are pale golden around edges, about 25 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheets. Using metal spatula, carefully remove cookies from parchment. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container.)

ALMOND MERINGUE KISSES ( KITCHEN AID)

Steps:

• Place egg whites in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Gradually turn to speed 10 and whip about 2 minutes, or until soft peaks form.
• Reduce to Speed 4 and gradually add sugar, beating about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Add almond extract. Turn to Speed 10 and whip 1/1/2 minutes, or until very stiff. Fold in almonds with rubber spatula.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased and floured or parchment paper-covered baking sheets. Bakeat 325 for 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

MERINGUE KISSES (ALMOND/ORANGE/STRAWBERRY/MINT/COCOA VARIATIONS)

Steps:

• Preheat over to 225 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar with cornstarch and reserve. In a medium bowl, with electric mixer on high speed beat together egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Reduce mixer speed to medium and gradually beat in reserved sugar-cornstarch mixture until incorporated. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Increase mixer speed to high and beat for five minutes, scraping down sides of bowl several times, until stiff and glossy peaks form. If using a pastry bag, fill with mixutre otherwise drop little rounded mounds of meringue with a tablespoon spacing 1/2 inch apart.
• For crisp meringues, bake in preheated oven until firm to the touch and crisp throughout, about 1 1/2 hours, turning baking sheet once from front to back halfway through baking. For chewier meringues, bake about 1 1/4 hours, rotating sheet once halfway through baking.
• Cool meringues slightly on baking sheet on wire rack. Transfer meringues to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
• ORANGE KISSES:.
• Follow directions, substituting one teaspoon orange extract for vanilla and almond extracts and adding 12 drops orange food coloring.
• STRAWBERRY KISSES:.
• Follow directions, substituting 1 1/2 teaspoons strawberry extract for vanilla and almond extracts and adding 12 drops red food coloring.
• MINT KISSES:.
• Follow directions, substituting 1/4 teaspoon mint extract for vanilla and almond extract and adding 12 drops green food coloring.
• COCOA KISSES:.
• Follow directions, substituting 1 1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract for vanilla and almond extracts. After beating egg white mixture, sift 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder over mixture and fold it gently in until thoroughly blended.