Be Mine! - Give Meringue Kisses

It's almost Valentine's Day and that means lots of cookies and sweets are headed your way.  Obviously chocolate is OK for helping me be wheat-free and so is hard candy.  However, I'll be reading the packages on Sweet Hearts or anything that seems like it might have wheat in it.  This also means that my favorite V-day food, Red Velvet Cake, is problematic without a serious recipe makeover.  So what's a girl to do if she wants baked goods to give? (Or to receive - Roma, get dad in the kitchen ASAP!)

I make Cherry Meringue Kisses.

Meringues have no flour of any kind in them when makes them ideal for my wheat free lifestyle.  Sure, they are little sugar bomb,s and you might eat them in one sitting,  but as far as an impressive and yummy gift item, I highly recommend them.

Meringue Kisses

Note: you can make these with any flavor of Jello.  The cherry are our favorites and are perfect for Valentine's day.  You could do lime for St. Pat's, Orange for Easter, blueberry and raspberry for July 4th...the possibilities are wide open

Note #2 – this recipe works best with really fresh eggs, fresh jello, really clean bowls and utensils, etc.  Don’t substitute the egg whites from the carton (like egg beaters) they don’t work as well and you will get marshmallows rather than meringues.

Note #3 – cut brown paper bags or brown Kraft paper works best for lining the cookie sheets.  Don’t use parchment paper. 

  

6 egg whites - if you can't separate an egg white, go watch a video to learn.  It's really easy. 

¼ salt

7 TBSP jello (any flavor)

1 ½ cup sugar

2 tsp vinegar

2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment beat the egg whites and the salt until really foamy (apx 2-3 mins on high setting).

Slowly add jello and sugar and whip on high until stiff peaks form and all the sugar is dissolved.  (Could be 5-7 mins)

Mix in vinegar

Fold in chocolate chips but don’t overwork the fluffiness

Spoon nickel-size blobs of meringue onto brown paper-covered cookie sheets.  The cookies spread about 25% so leave some room between them. 

Bake at 250 degrees for 25mins.  DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR!!!!

Turn off over and leave in the heat for another 25mins.  DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR until the time is up.

Cool the cookies for a few minutes then gently separate them from the brown paper to finish cooling.

I have also had success cooking them late in the evening and then turning off the over after the first cooking cycle and leaving the trays in the oven overnight.  The key to these cookies is to let them dry out so letting them sleep overnight in a cooling oven seems to work like a charm.  

 Yummy variation – when cool, dip the cookie top in chocolate candy shell coating and prepare for an amazing sugar shock!

Happy Valentine's Day