Cocoa Meringue Kisses
Cocoa meringue kisses are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, made without flour, butter, or egg yolks.
Ingredients
confectioners' sugar
¾ cup
unsweetened (natural) cocoa powder
1/3 cup
large egg whites (at room temperature)
2
cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon
granulated sugar
1/2 cup
pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
1
PREHEAT
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. If using 2 baking sheets, position one oven rack in the bottom of the upper third of the oven and the other in the top of the lower third so they are at least 4 inches apart.
2
SIFT
Sift the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder into a medium bowl.
3
USING
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large, clean bowl until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the granulated sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently fold in the cocoa mixture with a rubber spatula until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix or the meringue will deflate too much.
4
DROP
Drop the meringue onto the prepared baking sheets with a slightly rounded tablespoon, using a free finger to push the batter off the spoon. The meringues should be about 1.5 inches in diameter and at least 1.5 inches tall, with cute pointed tops and irregular shapes; space them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
5
BAKE
Bake the meringues for 25 minutes, until the outside feels dry but the inside is still soft. (Overbaking will cause the meringues to be dry and crunchy both outside and inside.) There is no need to rotate the baking sheets. Carefully slide the parchment paper off the baking sheets onto racks. Once the cookies have cooled, gently peel them off the parchment paper.
