Espresso Meringue Cookies
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 16, 2008
Time
1½ hours, plus 1 hour 10 minutes cooling
Yield
Makes 48 small cookies
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Meringues may be a little soft immediately after being removed from the oven but will stiffen as they cool. If the day is humid or rainy, the exteriors may become tacky as they rest. To minimize stickiness, allow the meringues to cool in a turned-off oven for an additional hour (for a total of 2) without opening the door, then transfer immediately to airtight containers and seal. Cooled cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and espresso powder in small bowl.
- In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites, vanilla, and salt at high speed until very soft peaks start to form (peaks should slowly lose their shape when whisk is removed), 30 to 45 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, slowly add sugar mixture in steady stream down side of mixer bowl (process should take about 30 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Return mixer to high speed and beat until glossy, stiff peaks have formed, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Working quickly, place meringue in pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip or large zipper-lock bag with 1/2 inch of corner cut off. Pipe meringues into 1 1/4-inch-wide mounds, about 1 inch high, on baking sheets, 6 rows of 4 meringues on each sheet. Bake 1 hour, rotating pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Turn off oven and allow meringues to cool in oven at least 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before serving, about 10 minutes.
Time
1½ hours, plus 1 hour 10 minutes coolingYield
Makes 48 small cookiesIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To get a crisp meringue cookie that would dissolve instantly in the mouth, timing was everything, we found. The sugar could be added only when the whites had been whipped enough to gain volume but still had enough water left in them for the sugar to dissolve. One hour in a 225-degree oven followed by another hour in the turned off oven dried the cookies perfectly.
Before You Begin
Meringues may be a little soft immediately after being removed from the oven but will stiffen as they cool. If the day is humid or rainy, the exteriors may become tacky as they rest. To minimize stickiness, allow the meringues to cool in a turned-off oven for an additional hour (for a total of 2) without opening the door, then transfer immediately to airtight containers and seal. Cooled cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and espresso powder in small bowl.
- In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites, vanilla, and salt at high speed until very soft peaks start to form (peaks should slowly lose their shape when whisk is removed), 30 to 45 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, slowly add sugar mixture in steady stream down side of mixer bowl (process should take about 30 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Return mixer to high speed and beat until glossy, stiff peaks have formed, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Working quickly, place meringue in pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip or large zipper-lock bag with 1/2 inch of corner cut off. Pipe meringues into 1 1/4-inch-wide mounds, about 1 inch high, on baking sheets, 6 rows of 4 meringues on each sheet. Bake 1 hour, rotating pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Turn off oven and allow meringues to cool in oven at least 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before serving, about 10 minutes.
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