Chocolate Meringue Cookies (Gluten Free)

One of my favorite go-to gluten free treats.. Chocolate Meringue Cookies!

What sets this recipe apart is the use of good quality unsweetened chocolate blocks and, beating the egg whites and sugar together over a hot water bath. This meringue base was like marshmallow cream, so smooth and satiny, a perfect foundation for the perfect cookie.

I hope you try this.. you’ll love-Love-LOVE them, if that is, you are looking for something not too sweet, something crisp, light, gluten free, and a low fat treat. 

This recipe is from

“Chocolate” by Nick Malgieri.
Recipe yields around ’34′ 2-inch cookies.

Ingredients
3 large egg whites
1 cup minus 2 tbsp of extra-fine granulated sugar
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 275 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a wide skillet, bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low.
In a bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, combine the whites and sugar, whisk to combine. Place the bowl into the skillet filled with hot water and whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are heated to 130 F.
The process will take about 6-8 minutes.
Place the bowl onto a base of the stand mixer, or just use hand-held electric beaters to beat the whites until increased in volume and substantially cooled.
Beat on medium speed if you are using the stand mixer, and on high with the hand-held one. The mixture should be stiff and glossy but not dry and clotted.
Pour the chocolate over the meringue and fold it with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with 1⁄2 inch star tube and pipe S shapes, or use a larger star tip and pipe meringue rounds as I did in this recipe. Pipe about 1 1⁄2 inches apart, on the prepared pans.
Bake the meringues about 15-20 minutes, until crisp on the outside but still somewhat soft within.
*(Nick’s recipe sets the oven to 300 degrees, I like the cookies a bit more crisp and dry. So my recommendation here is 275. :)
Slide the cookies, still on the parchment, to a cooling rack. If the cookies do not release from the paper they are underdone and should be returned to the oven for a several minutes.
The cookies are the best on the day they are baked. But if you need you can keep them between sheets of parchment paper in an air-tight container.

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Pistachio Beef Savory Pastries

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate pistachios into my home cooking, and when I found that I had a couple extra cups the same night I was making a collection of savory pastries I began combining flavors. The pistachio and ground sirloin were definitely the stars, but they combined well with sauteed shallots, fennel and garlic, red pepper, capers and raisins.

I first browned my ground sirloin, then added red pepper flakes as well as cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, salt, capers and raisins. In a food processor I ground my shelled pistachios and then added them to the beef mix.

In a separate saute pan in olive oil I lightly sauteed my chopped shallots and fennel till translucent. Then I added my finely chopped garlic and continued to saute till golden. This was then added to the pistachio beef mix. I approximately used 1 onion, 1 shallot and 3 cloves of garlic. (for added flavor, a minced green and red pepper sautéed along with the garlic, shallots and fennel would also be amazing!)

When all ingredients were combined I then added a few more teaspoons of olive oil, an 1/8 cup of beef broth and a dab of butter plus a few more seasonings for taste.

The "pastry" is a post in itself. Pasta Frolla is the typical Southern Italian pastry for Rustici and Crostata's. It is by far my favorite pastry to use and is not too hard to make. It tastes like a combination of a shortbread crust and pie pastry dough, but in my opinion is better than both and holds up to many a pastry dessert.

I do love Nick Malgieri's pastry recipe's, and his are usually my "go to" recipes of choice.

But this Italian Pasta Frolla recipe is the basic recipe you can find in almost any Italian cookbook or Nonna's kitchen collection.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 freshly grated lemons, zest of or 1 oranges
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1.In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and zest.
2.Cut in the butter, until it resembles coarse meal.
3.Add the egg and the vanilla and toss the mixture until incorporated.
4.Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very lightly, forming into a disk.
5.Chill, wrapped in plastic at least 1 hour or overnight.
6.Let the dough stand at room temperature until softened, but still firm enough to roll out.

Buon Anno and Buon Appetito!!
I hope you and yours enjoy a Blessed New Year,
From My Kitchen..

Laurie

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