As you all know, I'm a coffee lover and an addict too, I must admit.....hehe. Whatever recipes that I saw that has something that called for coffee or chocolate, I will be very delighted to try it out. Same goes to this recipe that I saw in one of my MiL's cookbook, it's called "Coffee Meringue Cookies". Well, as some of you would know the meaning of 'meringue'....it is a type of
dessert made from
whipped egg whites and sugar. This would be my first attempt in making a meringue. I got very a very good advice from my sister in KL telling me that whenever you need to whisk egg white and sugar, always make sure that the mixing bowl and the beater are free from oil. If not , the egg whites will break up and you'll never get the level of 'peak' you need.
Therefore, Tip # 1: I rinse my mixing bowl and the beaters with hot water and air dry it before I start to whisk Tip #2 : When seperating the egg white from the egg yolk, do not let even a single drop of yolk fall in to the whites, this will also affect the whisking process....aiyo, you must be wondering what a 'prima donna' egg white I'm dealing with........LOL
So, with the main 2 tips given, I'm sure you will be able to achieve the 'peak' that the recipe called for.........as to be frank with you, meringue is actually a very easy cookie to make.....the kung-fu is all in the whisking of the egg whites and sugar. I followed every single steps the food called for, as it is quite straightforward and easy to understand................and the end result, my kids, especially Ian and Angelica, who just adores coffee as much as their Mummy, loves it so much ^-^ . During the baking of the meringues, the whole kitchen was filled with coffee aroma and the kids just can't wait for it to come out of the oven.......what's more, there is a 'cooling off - period' of another hour after the baking time is up.........LOL, "percubaan" (testing of patience) I call it. These cookies are so, so light and airy.....I meant really light in weight and airy inside, it just melts in your mouth....hmmmm
So, pick up your whisk and get started.......Happy Meringue Baking!
COFFEE MERINGUE COOKIES ......FOR THE LOVE OF COFFEE
This recipe is adapted from my MIL 's Y3K Cookbook - My Secret Recipes Series Vol.9
Ingredients
(A) 3 egg whites
(B) 50 gm caster sugar and 120 gm icing sugar (I would suggest you cut down as I find that it's a bit too sweet, maybe 20 gm for caster and 100 gm for Icing sugar)
(C) 1 Tbsp coffee essence
(D) 1 Tbsp cornflour
Method
- Beat egg whites in a mixing bowl with a handheld electric beater til it foams. Fold in ingredient (B) in several small batches. Add in ingredient (C) and (D) and beat well till soft peaks form. Do not overbeat.
- Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with nozzle no.22. Pipe meringue onto a baking tray lined with non-stick parchment paper, all speced apart.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 100~C to 120~C for 1 hour or more until the meringues are dry and crisp. Cool quickly and store well.
Tips: Always bake your meringues in a very slow oven. To ensure meringues hold its shape after baking, switch off the oven, leave the meringue in the oven with oven door ajar for at least another hour......hehe, testing your patience ^-^, as there will not be a sudden change in temperature, the crisp touch of the meringue will remains better.
