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Christmas Meringue Kisses

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 2, 2011

Yield

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Christmas Meringue Kisses

Ingredients

2 large egg whites ⅛ teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar 2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips 3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Before You Begin

Try to work as quickly as possible when shaping the kisses; they will deflate if left too long before baking. These cookies will keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 275 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. With electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until mixture is glossy and stiff, about 2 minutes. With spatula, fold in 1 cup chocolate chips and peppermint candies.
  3. Using piping bag with plain tip or teaspoon, pipe or dollop teaspoon-sized dots of batter onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies begin to crack and are light gold, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating rack position and direction of baking sheets halfway through baking time. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Melt remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and mix with oil in small bowl. Dip bottoms of cooled kisses into chocolate and place, chocolate side up, on wire rack until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.
Christmas Meringue Kisses

Christmas Meringue Kisses

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
⅛ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
⅛ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
⅛ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe for Christmas Meringue Kisses was one of the runners-up in our Christmas Cookies contest. These meringue kisses combine crushed peppermint candies and chocolate chips in a meringue base. For the best-textured, lightest kisses, we beat the egg whites until just glossy and stiff. To give these Christmas Meringue Kisses an extra boost, we dipped the bottoms in melted chocolate, which hardened once cool.

Before You Begin

Try to work as quickly as possible when shaping the kisses; they will deflate if left too long before baking. These cookies will keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 275 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. With electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until mixture is glossy and stiff, about 2 minutes. With spatula, fold in 1 cup chocolate chips and peppermint candies.
  3. Using piping bag with plain tip or teaspoon, pipe or dollop teaspoon-sized dots of batter onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies begin to crack and are light gold, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating rack position and direction of baking sheets halfway through baking time. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Melt remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and mix with oil in small bowl. Dip bottoms of cooled kisses into chocolate and place, chocolate side up, on wire rack until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

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