Meringue cookies are a crispy, chewy dessert that is not so ordinary. Try these Toasted Nut Meringues, courtesy of the amazing Stella Parks of Bravetart.
Recipe and article courtesy of Stella Parks, Bravetart. Check out her cookbook: BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts. The recipes in Stella's book aren't gluten-free, but they provide lots of ideas for converting to GF!
Use this meringue recipe to make all kinds of fabulous desserts:
Make Stella's Pumpkin Cranberry Parfait or this Winter Eton Mess with this fabulous cookie recipe!
About meringue cookies:
If you’ve never had one, meringues are a classic light, airy cookie with a crisp interior. They frequently call for fewer ingredients than many cookies, are often lower in calories, and look quite impressive over say, the ordinary chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie. While meringues may be misunderstood as a difficult culinary undertaking, I think you will find this nutty, crispy-chewy friendly meringue recipe worthy of your efforts. While this recipe call for pecans, feel free to use whatever nuts you may have on hand.
Just be warned: Once you begin into this world of flavorful whipped egg whites, you may find yourself utterly obsessed.
How to make the perfect meringue cookie:
It all begins with the meringue. First, start with a clean, dry mixing bowl - this is important as any trace of moisture can prevent egg whites from whipping properly. If your stand mixer sits on the counter uncovered, be sure to wipe the mixer bowl down with a clean paper towel before starting.
Start with eggs are at room temperature as they are easier to whip than cold eggs. If you like to separate eggs when cold, then separate immediately when taking them from the refrigerator, but let the whites come to room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Then combine the egg whites with sugar and salt as instructed in this recipe, prepare egg whites by dissolving the sugar, then use the whisk attachment to whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Finish off by whipping on medium high until stiff peaks form. Pipe and bake as instructed.
Meringue cookies: 5 simple ingredients.
This recipe calls for only 5 simple ingredients, many of which you may already have at home:
- 5 ounces toasted pecans or your favorite nut
- 1 ounce powdered sugar
- 5 ounces egg whites from 4 large eggs
- 9 ounces sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Last words of advice from Stella -
Stella notes that sometimes when making meringues, you may be left with a rag tag collection of broken meringues, but that is normal. She suggests keeping meringue bits in a leftover jar as, along with candied pecans, they make a perfect garnish for her Cranberry Pumpkin Parfait.
You may want to whip up some Meringue Mushrooms too.
These incredibly realistic and totally delicious Meringue Mushrooms are definitely something you can create! There are perfect for topping a Bûche de Noël or Yule Log cake, as an addition to your Gingerbread House, or to anything else you dream up!
Toasted Nut Meringues
Ingredients
- 5 ounces toasted pecans or your favorite nut
- 1 ounce powdered sugar
- 5 ounces egg whites from 4 large eggs
- 9 ounces sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you’d like, prepare a piping bag with a ½” plain tip. Otherwise, you’ll need an offset spatula or spoon to spread the meringue into a thin layer.
- Pulse the pecans and powdered sugar in a food processor until fine, or stop after a few seconds to keep the texture chunky. Set aside.
- Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir with a fork until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites feel hot. Use a whisk attachment to whip the egg whites on medium until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and continue whipping until stiff peaks form, another 5 minutes or so.
- Take the bowl off the mixer and add the ground pecan/powdered sugar mixture all at once. Fold with a flexible spatula until well combined.
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag, if using, and pipe roughly two dozen 3” discs. Otherwise, spread 10 ounces of meringue into a ¼” layer over each baking sheet.
- Dry the meringues in the oven until they peel easily from the parchment and no longer feel damp inside; about 90 minutes. For a chewier meringue, reduce the bake time to 75 minutes.
- However you bake the meringues, turn the oven off and use the handle of a wooden spoon to hold the door ajar. Let the meringues cool inside the oven until they come to room temperature.
- For cookies, leave the meringue discs whole. For meringue crumbles, smash each disc or sheet of meringue with the bottom of a coffee mug. This low key approach creates an awesome mix of jagged shards, crumbles, and powdery pieces.
Notes
Edited by Diana Losey
Try these too: Pecan Drop Cookies
Made famous by Harris Ranch in California, these pecan drop cookies are like a delicious mix of pie filling and cookie. Plus they're gluten and dairy-free!
Let Us Know What You Think