8.8.17
I am not great when it comes to leftovers. If we haven’t consumed all of dinner, we both really have the best intentions of eating it for lunch that week, or on another night. Usually though, it just hangs out in one of my tupperware containers until we do a deep clean of the fridge and have to smell what it is to remember what it was. We’re working on getting better at it. However, this doesn’t apply to my baking. I often have extra of at least one component. It sits there staring at me. But unlike home cooked dinner, I am always determined to make something out of leftover frosting, or curd, or in this case, extra meringues from the cake I made. After choosing the prettiest ones for the top of the cake I had the rest just hard chilling with no purpose. The meringue can be eaten on its own, sure, but HOW BORING. Gotta amp it up. Dip it on some chocolate and then into some crunchiness for an exciting cookie I can get on board with.
Even though these were left over from another project, they’re a great dessert option by themselves. Meringues are light and airy, and can easily be infused with different flavors or colors for a festive take. Three egg whites create a lot of meringues, so more bang for your buck. After dipping them in chocolate I finished the orange ones off in chopped pistachios and the green ones in some candied orange rind I made! See how I switched up those colors? FUN. These are one of my new favorite things to make, and when I’m strapped for an idea to bring over a friends or to a party, I’m pretty sure meringues will be at the top of the list.
I love that the color inside the bags can cause the pattern on the meringue to change on each one. Looking at them on the baking sheet before I put them in the oven made me smile. They are so whimsical! So enchanting! They’re simple to create, but the pay off feels much more complicated. And nothing went to waste.
Chocolate Dipped Meringue Kisses
Ingredients
For the Candied Orange
- 2 cups water for syrup, additional for boiling process
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 large orange
For the Meringues
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- splash vanilla extract
- food coloring of choice
- 1 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- candied orange rind, small diced
- 1/3 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
Instructions
For the Candied Orange
- Slice the rind off of orange and cut into small strips, about 1/4″ thick
- Place rind into medium sauce pan and cover with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil
- Drain orange rind, repeat process two more times
- After third drain, add two cups of sugar and two cups of water into medium saucepan and allow sugar to dissolve over medium heat
- Once sugar has dissolved add in orange rind, bring to boil, the turn down to a simmer, allow to simmer about 45 minutes
- Drain, toss rind with additional cup of sugar on a lined baking sheet, let dry out overnight, then keep in airtight container until use
For the Meringues
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 215 degrees
- In a clean stand up mixer bowl, using the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium high speed until it begins to foam
- Add in cream of tartar
- Once egg whites begin to reach soft peak stage, very slowly begin to add in sugar, a little at a time, allowing it to mix in fully
- Once firm peaks stage is reached add in vanilla
- Keep whisking until stiff peaks stage (when whisk attachment is removed egg whites should stand straight up)
- Place piping bags with star tips (open or closed) into tall glasses to help hold them up, paint stripes on the inside of the bags with food coloring
- Divide egg whites into piping bags, pipe meringue onto lined baking sheets
- Bake for about 70-90 minutes, meringue should feel light and easily peel off of parchment paper
- Turn off oven, crack open and allow to fully dry out
- Once cooled, melt chocolate in double boiler or microwavable bowl
- Dip bottom of meringue into chocolate, avoid holding the fragile tip of meringue when dipping
- Right after dipping in chocolate, immediately dip into chopped pistachios or chopped rind, set on lined baking sheet to allow to set, do NOT place in fridge
- Keep in air tight container when not eating
