Cherry Kisses: Low-Fat Meringues that Melt in Your Mouth
Cherry Kisses are fruit-filled meringues that melt in your mouth. They are made with egg whites and sugar beaten until stiff and then baked in a low oven. With no butter, margarine, oil, or egg yolks, the recipe’s only fat comes from walnuts. The cookies contain no flour and are gluten-free.
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Bake time: 20-30 minutes
Makes about 5-6 dozen cookies
Ingredients
4 egg whites
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped, pitted dates
1/3 cup chopped candied cherries
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300º F. Line baking sheets with parchment
paper.
- Separate egg whites from egg yolks, placing egg whites in a
large, dry bowl. Set yolks aside to use in another recipe. Let egg whites stand
at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Using an electric mixture on a high speed, beat egg whites
until soft peaks form. You can set beaters in mixture, lift them out, and soft
peaks will remain formed.
- Continue to beat egg whites on high as you gradually add
granulated sugar, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time until stiff glossy peaks form
and sugar is dissolved.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in walnuts, dates, and
cherries.
- Drop meringue by scent teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking
sheets, about 1 inch apart.
- Place baking sheets in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes
until meringues are firm to the touch.
- Remove baking sheets from the oven. Allow meringues to cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets. They will slip easily off the parchment paper. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks. Store them in an airtight container.
A Special Tip from The Elf
Before preparing Cherry Kisses – or any other meringue – double check bowls, beaters, and spatula to make sure they are completely clean and dry. Both egg whites and sugar molecules attract water. Water inhibits proteins from breaking down as egg whites are beaten. That’s why plastic, wet, or greasy bowls and beaters often prevent egg whites from forming peaks. Wipe bowls and utensils with a wedge of lemon to remove any traces of grease and dry thoroughly with a paper towel before beginning to make meringue. Once egg whites form peaks, add granulated sugar very slowly, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, allowing each addition of sugar to dissolve before adding more.
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