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on a kick in the kitchen

I'm the kind of person who gets on "kicks" in the kitchen. Last winter I was on a "chicken and dumpling" kick, there was the shortbread kick during Summer of '09, tomato-basil-mozarella-balsamic this summer, again

 Once I get to the point of being able to make something without any recipe, and I'm making it more than once-a-week, I officially declare it a "kick". This fall it is chocolate chip meringues. 

my new kick

Really, I blame my sister. She introduced them to me over a year ago. And upon first taste they got stored away on that list of "must figure out how to make" in my brain. 

Of course, when I was ready to make them I couldn't get her on the phone, so I had to go to the internet for research. And I found this recipe at smitten kitchen. It was my starting off point, and now that I'm feeling like a seasoned meringue-maker, I've been bold enough to eek back the sugar and go with the flow. 

Seriously, do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of these. Don't be intimidated by egg white stiffness or foaminess, or perfect meringue done-ness. 

Even better, they're low-fat. Right? Right!

Molly's Mini-chip Meringues (with a nod and tip of the hat to my sister, and 'smitten) :

2 egg whites, room temperature (or straight from under the hen's rumpus in our case)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 ounces mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put two egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar and vanilla and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and whip until it holds stiff peaks. Fold in mini-chips.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drop spoonfuls of the sticky white clouds onto your baking sheet. Bake at 300 for approximately 30-35 minutes. (there are also long-methods for making meringues, which I've never tried. but this is what I've been doing.) Personally, I check the meringues as I near the end of the baking time. Once they begin to get firm on the outside, I remove them from the oven. They will continue to crisp up a bit more as they cool. 

When you are done, you'll little pockets of goodness, crispy on the outside, a bit chewy on the inside. Whatever doesn't get eaten in the first feeding should be stored in an air-tight container. 

Enjoy!

::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: 

Did you know, I'm back over on the MOMformation blogs again? They've done a complete make-over and there is some pretty good stuff happening. They've added lots of great bloggers to the already standard favorites, like Jon and Sherry from Young House Love, Kristen Chase from CoolMomPicks, Alison Czarnecki from Petit Elefant –just to name a few

I'm part of the Products & Prizes channel, and I'm writing a weekly article about great finds for your kitchen. (how fun, huh??!) And I'll soon be adding some regular posts on children's music, as well as product reviews and giveaways (some GREAT giveaways). 

To find me you can click on the button in my sidebar, or go to my bio page and SUBSCRIBE to my posts. You can find all my latest here. (Lately, I've been talking about making baby food…not to be confused with making babies.)

Hope you'll click over and check it out. 

 

I’m the kind of person who gets on “kicks” in the kitchen. Last winter I was on a “chicken and dumpling” kick, there was the shortbread kick during Summer of ’09, tomato-basil-mozarella-balsamic this summer, again.

 

Once I get to the point of being able to make something without any recipe, and I’m making it more than once-a-week, I officially declare it a “kick”. This fall it is chocolate chip meringues.

 

my new kick

 

Really, I blame my sister. She introduced them to me over a year ago. And upon first taste they got stored away on that list of “must figure out how to make” in my brain.

 

Of course, when I was ready to make them I couldn’t get her on the phone, so I had to go to the internet for research. And I found this recipe at smitten kitchen. It was my starting off point, and now that I’m feeling like a seasoned meringue-maker, I’ve been bold enough to eek back the sugar and go with the flow.

 

Seriously, do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of these. Don’t be intimidated by egg white stiffness or foaminess, or perfect meringue done-ness.

 

Even better, they’re low-fat. Right? Right!

 

Molly’s Mini-chip Meringues (with a nod and tip of the hat to my sister, and ‘smitten) :

 

2 egg whites, room temperature (or straight from under the hen’s rumpus in our case)

 

1/2 cup sugar

 

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

 

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

6 ounces mini chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put two egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar and vanilla and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and whip until it holds stiff peaks. Fold in mini-chips.

 

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drop spoonfuls of the sticky white clouds onto your baking sheet. Bake at 300 for approximately 30-35 minutes. (there are also long-methods for making meringues, which I’ve never tried. but this is what I’ve been doing.) Personally, I check the meringues as I near the end of the baking time. Once they begin to get firm on the outside, I remove them from the oven. They will continue to crisp up a bit more as they cool. 

 

When you are done, you’ll little pockets of goodness, crispy on the outside, a bit chewy on the inside. Whatever doesn’t get eaten in the first feeding should be stored in an air-tight container.

 

Enjoy!

 

::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::

 

Did you know, I’m back over on the MOMformation blogs again? They’ve done a complete make-over and there is some pretty good stuff happening. They’ve added lots of great bloggers to the already standard favorites, like Jon and Sherry from Young House Love, Kristen Chase from CoolMomPicks, Alison Czarnecki from Petit Elefant –just to name a few

 

I’m part of the Products & Prizes channel, and I’m writing a weekly article about great finds for your kitchen. (how fun, huh??!) And I’ll soon be adding some regular posts on children’s music, as well as product reviews and giveaways (some GREAT giveaways).

 

To find me you can click on the button in my sidebar, or go to my bio page and SUBSCRIBE to my posts. You can find all my latest here. (Lately, I’ve been talking about making baby food…not to be confused with making babies.)

 

Hope you’ll click over and check it out.

 

 

14 comments on “on a kick in the kitchen”

  1. my husband’s family calls these “forgotten cookies” (as it’s the long-bake method). I’ll have to find the recipe in his mom’s things and make them for him and his sister this christmas.

  2. I grew up with a version of these called “Nighty-Night cookies” – we preheated the oven while we mixed up the meringue, put the pans in, and turned off the oven and left them overnight. My kids love them now.

  3. these sound delicious. i’ve been on a chocolate-chip banana bread kick lately. can i request the shortbread recipe too?

  4. You had to mention meringues just when I’ve finally come to terms with having to quit being the lone meringue quality controller of Burgundy, France. I tell you, there are these amazing fresh -baked sugary clouds from heaven in every bakery window around here. I developed a bit of an addiction and gained a bit of weight last winter. I realized I was buying them for the girls, but the girls weren’t eating them. I was. Winter is coming again….Maybe if I learned to make them myself, I wouldn’t be so intrigued by them…

  5. Ooooh, we LOVE these. Sometimes we add unsweetend chocolate, grated — magic against the sweet, sweet meringue. Also good with peppermint extract, and melted chocolate sandwiched between. Also good with no chocolate at all, but big billowy dollops of whipped cream and whatever fruit on hand (presto: pavlova!). Also, we do the overnight version, 250 degrees for an hour, then turn of the oven and abandon everything. A lovely good morning to go with coffee!

    Not that we’ve ever gotten on a meringue kick around here. Ahem.

  6. Hi Molly, I’ve got these in the oven RIGHT now! I’ve been thinking about them for two weeks and finally found the right pocket of time. Can’t wait!

  7. Hey Molly, it’s been too long since I’ve been over here…life has been soo busy for us.

    You need to keep this kick going through the holidays because my family LOVES these on our holiday cookie plate. To give it a festive feel I add peppermint extract and green food coloring. Last year my house must have been too cold because batch after batch of these didn’t turn out for me, I was soo disappointed as well as the family and neighbors cookie plates.

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