Who can resist these beautiful little crispy, yet melting in the mouth, cookies? Not many, I think, and maybe that is why they were named “kisses”. The kisses are great served on their own, sandwiched with various creams or lemon curd, or used as a wonderful decoration for cakes. In short, they are a must in every kitchen.
I’m aware of the fact that working with meringue has a reputation of being “difficult”, however, it is one of the most basic and simple things to make. Once you master preparing it, you can move forward to many other desserts and cakes that are based on it. So it’s worthwhile to start practicing.
Here are few important rules to follow when preparing meringue:
* Always use fresh eggs, at room temperature.
* Egg whites will not whip in the presence of fat, even a very small amount of it. So first, make sure the bowl is thoroughly clean from fat. Then, remember that the egg yolk is fatty, so make sure to separate the eggs carefully.
* Egg whites whip better with a bit of acidity – that is why we add the vinegar. Don’t skip this important step. (In case you’re worried, it doesn’t affect the flavor.)
* A small amount of salt adds a bit of balance to the sugar.
* Adding a bit of cornstarch helps keep the baked meringue crisp longer.
* Humidity is meringues’ enemy. Aim to bake it on dry days, and when your kitchen if not filled with steam from other dishes.
* Save the egg yolks to prepare lemon curd (check THIS RECIPE), homemade mayonnaise or to thicken sauces.
Makes: about 60 “kisses”
Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 2 hours
Resting time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
1 cup fine sugar
1 Tbs cornstarch
4 XL fresh egg whites, at room temperature
½ tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla (preferably vanilla paste)
¼ tsp salt
1. Preheat the oven to 200F (93C). Line two cookie sheets with baking paper.
2. In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the cornstarch.
3. Carefully separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in a mixer bowl, fitted with the whipping hook. Add the vinegar and start whipping on medium-low speed.
4. When large bubbles start to form, increase the mixer speed to medium and start adding the sugar slowly. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue whipping until a firm and shiny meringue is formed. In the last stage of whipping, add the vanilla and salt.
5. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a star tip, with the meringue. Pipe about 60 1.2” (3cm) “kisses” over the baking paper. Place in the oven and lower the oven temperature to 190F (88C).
6. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off the heat and keep in the oven for 2 hours longer, to dry the cookies completely. The cookies can be kept, at room temperature in a dry area, for up to 5 days.
These look so cute! Love them 😋
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Thank you Frances! They tend to disappear quickly… 🙂
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Yes please.
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Thank you and you’re welcome! 🙂
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They are adorable Ronit and what wonderful tips…..thank-you 😊
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Oh very pretty, love them! 😀
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Thank you Daniela. I’m glad you liked them.:)
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Oh Yum Chef Ronit-I love them!!! Cheryl
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Thank you Cheryl. I’m glad to hear! 🙂
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So tempted to try making these! 😍
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I hope you will and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the results. They are really easy and loved by all. 🙂
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I think I will! 👍👍👍👍👍
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Very beautiful!
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Thank you Lynn! 🙂
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They are so very pretty and I am sure delicious!
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They don’t last long, that’s for sure! 😀
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Yes I can imagine!!
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I love these beautiful treats
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Thank you Philip.Same here! 🙂
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Very cute 🙂
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Thank you Freda! 🙂
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The meringue kisses look wonderful. I agree with you that meringue cookies are easy to make. I recently made some meringue cookies with nuts, and was pleasantly surprised how easy they were to make.
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Thank you Sheryl. I saw your meringue/nuts cookies and loved them! Problem is I’ve never seen them around here. I’ll see if I can get them online and if not I’ll have to find a good substitute for them. 🙂
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I think that they’d work fine with any chopped nut. Hickory nuts are one of those fun old-fashioned nuts, but the nut meats are very small and difficult to get separated from the shell–so I don’t think that many commercial producers grow them.
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Thanks for the info! 🙂
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So cute!! I tend to buy the packaged ones to decorate cakes so I must starting making them from scratch! Thanks for the tips! x
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My pleasure! I find the homemade ones way better than any store-bought. I’m sure you’ll see the difference once you’ll try. 🙂
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So tasty and pretty…they melt in the mouth.
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Thank you. They do indeed! 🙂
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The only meringue I have made was Meringue Bones for Halloween. I used cream of tartar, no vinegar or vanilla. I’m sure your little kisses are very tasty.
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Thank you Judi. They are indeed very tasty. 🙂
Cream of tartar can substitute the vinegar, just a bit harder to get.
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Wow – cream of tartar is very easy to find here – 3-4 varieties!
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Interesting! 🙂
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Oh Ronit, they look really nice and I bet they taste good too! 🙂
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Thank you Linda! They are a sweet and light treat that everyone seem to like. 🙂
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I loved these as a kid. In Spanish, there are called “suspiros”, which means to sigh. Which is pretty much what happens when you take a bite! Beautiful.
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Thank you Kathy. It’s so interesting to learn. I love the name! 🙂
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I’ve never attempted to make meringue, Ronit, let alone meringue cookies. These do look pretty, though, and I am going to a GF house for Christmas dinner. A platter of these would be welcomed, I’m sure. Thanks for the inspiration.
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Thank you John! Meringue is indeed one of the best choices for GF desserts and I’m sure these little treats would be welcomed by all. 🙂
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So cute 🙂 🙂
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Thank you Sabitha! 🙂
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Wow light and fluffy drops from heaven 🙂
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Thank you Nandini, for such a great description! 🙂
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So cute! In Sweden we crutch these into vanilla ice-cream and serve it with chocolate-sauce and berries (marängswiss in Swedish)
https://crumblesandkaleblog.wordpress.com
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It sounds delicious! Thank you for visiting and commenting. 🙂
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Looks inviting..love it
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Thank you Vidya! 🙂
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Ronit, I love the airy texture of meringues and yours look picture perfect!
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Thank you Sandhya! 🙂
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They are so cute and perfect Ronit…
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Thank you Swapna! 🙂
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They’re so cute:)
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Thank you Magda! They are very addictive… 🙂
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Can’t wait to try these! I live in Florida, so although Cream of Tarter is easily obtained, a day without humidity is NOT!
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Can’t win them all! 🙂
Maybe it would be helpful to consult a local chef/blog, and see if they have any tips. Good luck! 🙂
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