Tangerine Meringue Cookies
Tangerines have more tang to them than oranges, so I added just ¼ teaspoon of orange extract to mellow out the taste. I love the combination of the two flavors.
Servings: 44 cookies
Calories: 21kcal
Ingredients
- 4 (4) Egg whites room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Cream of tarter
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar white
- 24 grams (24 grams) Freeze-dried tangerine 2 - 12g bags
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Orange extract
- 1 drop (1 drops) Coloring gel orange
Instructions
PREP WORK
- In a food-possessor, add both bags of the freeze-dried tangerines and pulse until they are powder. I then add this to a strainer to separate the more significant pieces from the tangerine powder. You should get about ⅛ cup. Weigh or measure the sugar, add the tangerine-strained powder to the sugar, and mix.
- Next, you need to separate the egg whites from the yolk. I use a three-bowl system to ensure that no yolk gets into my egg whites. Bowl 1: I have an egg separator that puts the whites into the bowl and the yolk in the separator. In Bowl 2, I add the yolk. In Bowl 3, I add the whites. Repeat for the other three eggs. (A picture is above in the post if needed.)
- Regarding the equipment, I take a paper towel, dab some white vinegar on it, and wipe the inside of the mixer bowl. I also do the whip attachment. I want to get the piping bag and the tip ready for the meringue. I find the large open star my go-to for my tip when making meringue cookies.
MAKING TANGERINE MERINGUE
- If you have a stand mixer, please use it; it takes ten to fifteen minutes to complete. Add the egg whites to the bowl and mix at medium speed with a wire whip attachment until the egg whites are frothy (about a minute). Add the cream of tartar and turn the mixer on to the highest setting. This is IMPORTANT! Add the tangerine-sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After adding all the sugar, beat at high speed for 10 minutes or until you reach stiff peaks. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides, and add the orange extract and one drop of the orange coloring gel. Turn the mixer back onto the highest setting for a minute.
- Take a little meringue between your fingers; it should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty, that means the sugar has not been fully incorporated with the egg white. Turn the mixer back on high for another minute. Don't overbeat the egg whites. When finished, if you take the attachment off the mixer and turn it up with the meringue at the top, the peak should stand up without slowly dropping down. Also, the meringue should look smooth and glossy.
- Line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper. I bake both pans side by side. My oven is not that wide, so one sheet pan is slightly up on the side of the second pan. So when piping the meringue onto the pan, I leave a good 2 to 3 inches on one side so the overlapped pan does not touch the meringue on the other pan (picture above). They only overlap about an inch, but the good thing is the piped meringue does not move. I use a large open star tip and pipe out the cookies. You can make swirls or star shapes. The type of cookie shape you create is your choice. I have done both.
- Bake at 225°F (110°C) for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and let them in the oven for 2 hours before taking them out. IMPORTANT! Do not open the oven door until the 3 hours have finished. They will start to collapse into themselves if cool air hits them before the drying process is finished. I did it once and learned my lesson. :-)
Notes
Add an extra drop of coloring gel if a deeper orange color is desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 0.4mg | Iron: 0.1mg