We absolutely love meringues. They are so light, airy, melt in your mouth but crunchy at the same time. The texture of these cookies is amazing. Since Valentine’s Day is approaching, we thought it would be the perfect time to make mini peach stripe Meringue Kisses.
We don’t really buy into the idea of Valentine’s day and we’re not keen on the idea of forced romance. When it comes to that kind of thing, we prefer a little more spontaneity. However, we do enjoy playing with food coloring and given that at this time of year it is practically mandatory to dye everything peach we might as well make the most of it!
They may sound and look fancy but they are incredibly easy and take less than 15 minutes to make using just a few ingredients. Also, the homemade version of this cookie is so much better than the store-bought kind. You will be so happy you tried them and your family will love you!
Ingredients |
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- ⅛ tsp. cream of tartar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup superfine sugar (baker’s sugar found at your market in a carton)
- peach food coloring
Method |
Bake the sugar on a baking paper on 180C till the side of the sugar turn browning.
Heat the oven to 100C. Beat the egg whites using an electric whisk or stand mixer in a large, spotlessly clean bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition, until all the sugar has been added. Continue to whisk the meringue for a few minutes more until it is very thick and glossy and forms stiff peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl.
Fit a piping bag with a large plain or star nozzle. Turn the bag inside-out, either over a jug or vase. Use a (clean!) artists paintbrush to paint stripes of the gel coloring down the inside of the bag.
Fill the bag with the meringue and twist the top closed. Use a little meringue mix to stick the greaseproof paper to the baking trays (this makes it easier to pipe) and pipe small ‘kisses’, slightly spaced apart on the trays, I like to do a couple of different sizes.
Bake for about 45 minutes, but be aware that they could take up to two hours depending on your oven (mine took 1 hour for teeny ones and two for larger ones). They are ready when they can be lifted off the paper in one piece – if the bottom comes away they aren’t ready yet.
Take them out of the oven and let them sit for a couple of minutes before trying to lift them off the paper, they should have become firm and peel off the paper in one piece, if they aren’t ready yet put them back in the oven for another 15 minutes then check again.
Cool and store in an airtight container.
How are you planning to celebrate Valentine Day? Whatever you do, ensure that you try my recipe or one of the many recipes down below! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
xoxo, Joe
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