Raspberry Meringues

This was another recipe I tried recently in an attempt to use egg whites left over from making pudding. I really liked the idea of these cookies. They are so adorable. They weren't that difficult to make and really would have turned out beautifully if I had not made a huge mistake.

I have never kept parchment paper on hand. I thought it was a shortcut for the lazy folks who didn't want to grease and flour their cake pans. This recipe called for parchment paper and I thought, well, maybe I should go ahead and use wax paper instead. I would have been better of skipping the paper and just greasing the pan. The cookies stuck like crazy and I was only able to get two intact hearts, which I gave to Anne.

The meringue (pieces) still tasted fine. But "fine" is about all I can say about them. It's just a matter of preference. My father-in-law and oldest son were big fans. Todd really liked these cookies. I prefer traditional butter-based cookies. However, because these were so beautiful, I think they would look great as a decoration on a special cake. For that reason, I still consider this recipe a "keeper". I like the idea of these piped meringues rather than the traditional "drop" meringues.

I substituted strawberry jam for the raspberry jam and used the granulated sugar instead of super-fine with no ill effects.

Raspberry Meringues
Source: some magazine, years ago

2 egg whites
1 tablespoon seedless red raspberry jam (at room temperature)
6 drops red food coloring
1/3 cup superfine sugar or granulated sugar
1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Let egg whites stand, covered, in a stainless-steel or glass mixing bowl at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cover 2 baking sheets with baking parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small mixing bowl stir together raspberry jam and red food coloring. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine superfine sugar and powdered sugar; set aside. Uncover eggs and add cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for 5 to 7 minutes on medium speed or until stiff glossy peaks form (tips stand straight up) and sugar is dissolved.
4. Use a spatula to gently fold 1/2 cup of the meringue mixture into the jam; then gently fold jam mixture into remaining meringue.
5. Using a pastry bag or plastic food storage bag witted with a large round or star tip (Wilton 2D), pipe meringue into 2-inch hearts on the parchment.
6. Place baking sheets in preheated oven. Turn off the oven. Let meringues dry in oven, with door closed, for 1 hour or until dry and crisp. Remove from oven. Let cool on parchment. Gently remove meringues. Makes about 20 meringue cookies.