Chocolate Mint Meringues Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat the egg whites and sugar in the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water until warm to the touch (this will help you get more air into the whites when you whip them). Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip until soft peaks form. Add the mint extract and continue whipping just until stiff and glossy. Fold in the chopped unsweetened chocolate.
• Scrape the mixture into a pastry bag. Pipe bite-size kisses onto the cookie sheets and bake until the meringues are the color of milky coffee, 25 to 30 minutes. To test, remove one meringue from the oven, let cool one minute, then taste. It should be dry and crisp all the way through. Let cool on the pans.
• Melt the semisweet chocolate. Dipping the tines of a fork into the chocolate, drizzle the meringues with melted chocolate. Let sit until chocolate is set, 30 minutes to an hour (or let set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes).
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, extract and food coloring if desired on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Gently fold in chocolate chips. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 250° until firm to the touch, 40-45 minutes. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for 1-1/2 hours. Remove to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; secure corners with masking tape. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22). Set aside.
• Make meringues: Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whiskattachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.
• Using a new small paintbrush, paint 2 or 3 stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time.
• Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, make ganache: Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let ganache cool at room temperature, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until thick enough to hold its shape, about 45 minutes. (If ganache setsbefore using, reheat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; repeat the cooling process.)
• Before serving or mailing, fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #5) with ganache. Pipe a small amount onto bottom of 1 meringue. Sandwich with another. Repeat with remaining ganache and meringues. Transfer to wire racks; let set 30 minutes.