Meringue Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I remember feeling bewildered the first time I ate a meringue cookie. I selected an alabaster-like star from behind a bakery counter. Within seconds, the cashier folded it in parchment and handed it to me. It felt weightless.

 
When I bit into the confection, I tasted sugar. That was it. And it was chalky. Not realizing I had eaten a mediocre cookie, I wrote off meringue for the next few years, inside and outside of my kitchen.

 
Thankfully, my sweet tooth and passion for baking, led me back to it. I found that if I followed a few simple guidelines, I could use meringue to produce a variety of elegant desserts, including the ever versatile, ever delicious meringue cookie.




Over time, I've paired meringue with toasted coconut, roasted walnuts, peppermint extract, graham crackers, and flirty purple food coloring. But, if you ask me, fine chocolate is it's best companion.

MERINGUE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon
2/3 fine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Cocoa for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 175 degrees. Place parchment on two cookie sheets.

Place the egg whites in a large bowl. Beat on low speed until frothy on top.

Add the cream of tartar. Increase speed to medium and beat until the egg whites form soft peaks.

With the beaters still running, slowly pour in the sugar.

Increase the speed to high and beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks.

Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds.

Carefully fold in chocolate.

Spoon a teaspoon or so of batter onto the parchment paper. Leave an inch between each cookie.

Bake for 2 hours or until the cookies no longer stick to parchment.

Dust with cocoa.

White Soldiers

This post is completely unrelated to kitchens - mine or anyone else's. Having just returned with Twin 1 from the hospital  (he's had an operation and overnight stay), I was reminded of this:

I have always told my kids the 'story' of the white soldiers. They live in there blood and kill all the baddies in their bodies, travelling around them destroying germs and making poorlys better. They work even harder when we are asleep, therefore a good nights sleep works wonders. Recently the twins and I read a book which described this process in similar terms to the ones I have used. 

 'Oh is it true then', piped up twin 1. 

 'Yes of course,' I replied. 'What do you think I've been telling you all this time.' 

 'Well we thought it was just a story to get us to go to sleep.'

As if I would!










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Is Your Air Conditioning System Ready for Summer?

Your A/C system should be serviced every spring. Annual servicing includes cleaning the system, checking for any problems or potential problems and adjusting the A/C system for peak performance. Go ahead and take a look at your A/C system to see if it may need a little cleaning.

Benefits include:

• Increased dependability
• Repair potential problems quickly and inexpensively
• lowers your energy cost
• Prolongs life span of the A/C system
• Helps protect the environment
• Drastically reduces the chance of a breakdown
• Insures the A/C system is safe and offers healthy operation

Following are a few tips on reducing your cooling needs:

• Close all windows and doors during daytime hours. Keep the blinds and curtains closed (especially the west and east windows)
• Only use the A/C system when you are in the house
• Don't set your thermostat too low. Usually 78 degrees is found to be comfortable

STAY COOL MY FRIENDS!