Merry Christmas Eve Eve! I can’t believe it’s already December 23rd. I remember putting up my tree on November 1st and that feels like just yesterday.
I’m sad to see the Christmas season come and go once again, but I’m excited to have my own Christmas here at my place. My parents are in town and we’ll be having our Christmas Eve on the 26th and Christmas Day on the 27th. I have to work on actual Christmas, so it’ll be nice to have a sort of extended Christmas this year.
We’re still overflowing with treats in my house. I’ve got three types of cookies in the cookie jar, two containers of Chex Mix left, and a little basket of various Christmas candies filled to the brim on my coffee table.
One type of cookie that I don’t have left is some meringues. I took the plunge last weekend and decided to do something really hard. Meringues take skill so they are the perfect consistency—and so they don’t crack.
I followed this recipe (Atchison, Kansas Methodist cookbook yet again) to a T and these came out perfect. I made the mistake of making them in two batches, and the second batch cracked. So if you can, try to bake them all at once.
Meringue is difficult because it’s literally only two ingredients: sugar and egg whites. You have to whip it for several, several minutes (maybe even around 30 minutes) to get it to form “stiff peaks”. That’s when the meringue will stand on its own without falling over.
The best way to get your stiff peaks to form is to make sure your eggs are at room temperature. It’ll be faster to make if they are.
Another tip: don’t over bake. Constantly check on your meringues to make sure they aren’t cracking.
This recipe makes meringue even harder by hiding a Hershey’s kiss in the middle. At first I thought the kiss would melt and ruin the meringue, but I was pleasantly surprised that everything held up. I credit it to the low baking temperature, just 275 degrees, for keeping the kiss (and merinuge) in tact.
If you’re wanting a stellar Christmas treat that will melt in your mouth and knock everyone’s socks off, this recipe is for you.
Enjoy!
Surprise Meringue Kisses
Pillowy meringues that hide a chocolatey kiss in the middle.
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 24-36 Hershey kisses, unwrapped
- Green and red sprinkles, for topping
Directions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer (I prefer stand mixer), beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add 1 cup sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until very stiff peaks form. Drop from a tablespoon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, about 1″ apart.
- Press a chocolate kiss into the middle. Using a butter knife, bring meringue up over the candy to hide it. Sprinkle with red and green sprinkles.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until set (hardened and can be lightly browned on top). Immediately remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer (I prefer stand mixer), beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Beat until very stiff peaks form. This picture is close to stiff peaks, but still needs some more beating to get there.
Drop from a tablespoon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, about 1″ apart.
Press a chocolate kiss into the middle.
Using a butter knife, bring meringue up over the candy to hide it. Sprinkle with red and green sprinkles.
Bake for 30 minutes or until set (hardened and can be lightly browned on top). Immediately remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Kiss, kiss. 😍