Strawberry and chocolate are such a great combination, especially for Valentine's Day. I love playing with these flavors and coming up with cookies that will fit the occasion. So it seems only fitting that I share with you a Web site about Strawberries and Chocolate with a touch of romance. I hate to admit it, but this was not one of my favorite holidays when I was younger. However, I am older now and appreciate the meaning of a day of romance.
Ingredients
- 4 Egg whites at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon Cream of tarter
- 1 cup Sugar white
- 2 Tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoon Freeze dried strawberry ground
- 1 to 2 drops Coloring gel
Making Great Meringue Cookies
Let's take the mystery out of meringue. First things first, start with a clean, dry mixing bowl that you will either use on a stand mixer or handheld to whip your egg whites. My vote is a stand mixer; it takes quite a while to get the egg whites to a stiff peak.
Since I am flavoring my meringue, I want to get that ready first. Take the freeze-dried strawberry and pulse to powder in a food processor. That is the easiest to get them to a dust state. Then sift them through a strainer to capture any big pieces. The chocolate is already in powder form, so you are good to go for the chocolate flavor.
Now the eggs, you want them room temperature. I start with three bowls. One is for the egg whites, one is to separate the yolk from the whites, and a third bowl for the egg yolks. The reason to separate the yolk from the whites is that if any of the yolks would leak into the egg white you can not use the egg white. So if it is done in a separate bowl and the yolk bleeds into that egg white, you only have to discard that one egg.
Add the egg whites to your mixer bowl and, on medium speed, get the egg whites to a frothy state. Add the cream of tartar and turn the mixer on high. Next, add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. It will not be smooth but very grainy if you rush the sugar. Whip for a good 10 to 12 minutes, but it could take a little longer. You want a stiff peak.
Divide the mixer bowl whipped egg whites into two bowls to add the flavoring. Add the strawberry powder and 1 to 2 drops of red coloring gel in one half and gently fold it into the stiff egg whites. In the other bowl, add the cocoa powder and gently fold that into the stiff egg whites.
Add each flavor to its own piping bag. I used a large star for each. These do not spread so that you can pipe the meringue cookies reasonably close together. It is best to bake all the cookies at the same time. I can get two parchment-lined cookie sheet pans in my oven. These take an hour and forty-five minutes, and the egg whites will not be good if you have them sitting around till the first batch is done.
You could split the recipe in half and only mix one flavor at a time. This method is up to you—Bake at 225° for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and do not open the door. Let them sit in the oven for an hour. Do not open the oven door! If you peak, the middles may collasape. So it is not too challenging but well worth the effort.
Storage
You can store these cookies in an air-tight container. You want to keep the moisture out, so they stay dry and crisp. They can be stored for at least 2 weeks. The biggest issue is to keep water out of the container.
Fast forward many years, and I am now making cookies to celebrate this special day. First, I wanted to try and find a site that gave the fascinating history of Valentine's Day, but I could not find a website that did not have so many advertisements that you couldn't read the text or see the pictures.
The best I could do was the Encyclopaedia Britannica which still had a lot of ads, but at least they seemed to load fast. On a side note, I remember my mother purchased the complete set of Encyclopaedia Britannia for our family. Nice to see they are still around.
Try a Few Other Cookies
Chocolate Cookie Cups with Strawberry Cream
Recipe
Strawberry and Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
- 4 Egg whites at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon Cream of tarter
- 1 cup Sugar white 198 g
- 2 Tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoon Freeze dried strawberry ground
- 1 to 2 drops Coloring gel
Instructions
- In a food processor, I ground two bags (.26 oz each) of Brothers all-natural freeze-dried strawberry fruit crisps. Make sure you have the lid on your food processor, or the powder will fly everywhere.
- Separate four eggs, so you have the whites. I start with three bowls. One is for the egg whites, one is to separate the yolk from the whites, and a third bowl for the egg yolks. The reason to separate the yolk from the whites is that if any of the yolks would leak into the egg white, you can not use the egg white. Add the four egg whites to a stand mixer (using the whisk beater) and beat on medium speed till they are frothy. Next, add the cream of tartar and turn the mixer to high. Beat for about a minute.
- IMPORTANT STEP - Slowly add one tablespoon of sugar at a time. You want the sugar to incorporate into the egg white. After you have added all the sugar, continue on high till you get stiff peaks. This could take 10 to 12 minutes or a little longer if necessary. You should be able to take the whisk beater, and if you turn it up, the peaks should not droop. If you touch the meringue, it should feel stiff and be shiny.
- Split the meringue into two bowls. In one add 2 tablespoon of cocoa powder and mix in gently. In the other bowl, add 2 tablespoon of the ground strawberry powder and 1 to 2 drops of red gel or food coloring. I used the gel coloring, but if all you have handy is food coloring, by all means, use that. Using two piping bags and two large star tip add a flavor to a bag. Pipe them onto two cookie sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Place both pans into the oven at 225° for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and let them sit in the oven for an hour.
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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