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Sunday, April 8, 2012

Perfect for Passover: Recipe

You can't have just any dessert on Passover. Naturally it must be flourless for it to pass muster, which makes creating something delicious a bit more challenging. And if you keep Kosher, well then that adds in a whole other dimension.

Regardless, you want to be flour-free so here is a perfect dessert for Passover - one that simply melts in your mouth. Well, at least that was the comment I heard around the dinner table last night! (Phew!). These couldn't have been any easier to make - and I had never made meringue before, to be honest.  So this was a breeze. The recipe I altered called for peppermint extract and red coloring - perfect for the winter holidays but not really right for spring.

Coconut Meringue Kisses
Makes @ 40

3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
8-10 drops brown food coloring

special equipment: pastry bag and 1/2" tip (can use bag without the tip, if needed); parchment paper

Preheat oven to 200. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Next, prepare the pastry bag with the tip by sliding the tip into the bag and carefully snipping off just enough of the end so the pointed end of the tip peaks through completely. If you don't have a piping tip, you can snip off about 1/2 inch off the end of the bag and simply use that.

In a large, dry, clean bowl of a large mixer, whip whites on medium-high for about 1 minute before adding in the salt. Mix with the salt another 2 minutes before adding in the sugar in 2 additions beating about 2-3 minutes between each addition.  Next add in the powdered sugar, slowly, in another 2 additions - again beating about 2 minutes between each addition. Finally add in the extract and whip another 3 minutes until whites are very stiff. Using a wooden toothpick, dot the coloring in various spots all over the egg whites - do not stir.

Next, scoop as much of the whites as you can into the pastry bag and pipe about 1" round mounds about 1" apart from one another. Bake about 2 1/2 hours and then allow to cool another hour.  These can be made ahead of time - about two days - but store at room temp in an airtight container. If you have to stack them, use parchment paper between layers.

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