February 2nd, 2015

Meringue Cookies

Remember back in the days of yore, when you first learned that cookies could be made of something other than regular flour, and the sheer capriciousness of this universe nearly brought you to your knees? Well, prepare to genuflect again… because cookies can be made with no flour at all.

I know, right?!

 

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You have probably experienced meringue before, on the top of a lemon meringue pie for example. But it turns out, if you cook a meringue just a little longer, it gets downright crispy, and turns into the simplest three-ingredient cookie you could imagine. As with a traditional meringue, we start with 4 separated egg whites.

 

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Save those yolks for something else useful.

 

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Beat the whites in a large bowl with a hand mixer. It will help if the eggs are room temperature before you start. After they are a little frothy like this, sprinkle in a pinch of salt.

 

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Then the real work begins. Beat, and beat, and beat those whites some more, until peaks form. It’s a little albino-in-a-snowstorm, but if you look closely at the picture you’ll see the classic culinary surfer wave I’m talking about.

 

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Gently drizzle in 1/2 cup of honey, and beat again until the stiff peaks are back. Don’t try to get clever and add the honey in the beginning, because there’s weird molecule-bonding and protein-denaturing stuff that goes on and you will never get a meringue that way no matter how long you beat them. You have to beat them thoroughly first, and then put the flavor in while trying not to destroy your precious snow sculpture.

 

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With a piping bag, or just a ziplock with a tiny corner cut off, pipe the fluffy meringue onto parchment paper in whatever shapes you like.

 

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Be festive, Martha Stewart. We’re all rooting for you.

 

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Bake at 270 degrees for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies you piped out. They’re done when they’re golden and firm to the touch.

 

Happy Eating!

 

Meringue Cookies

4 egg whites
pinch salt
1/2 cup honey

 

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