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Meringues are a sort of cookie made from whipped eg whites. They're light, airy and delicious. They're also a great way of using up leftoever egg whites. This recipe is flavored with espresso powder and pine nuts and I developed it specifically to accompany my Chocolate/Espresso Pots de Creme. Although 50 seems like a lot of cookies to make for two people, they're 80 percent air and so neither filling nor fattening, so feel free to splurge. Makes about 50.

See Also

Chocolate/Espresso Pots de Creme

Coffee Granita: Cool, Light and Refreshing

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 c sugar
• 3/8 tsp cream of tarter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp espresso powder
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 2 tsp cocoa
• 1/4 c pignoli (pine nuts)

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 120 minutes

• Total Time: 130 minutes

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spread pignoli in a pan and roast until lightly browned - about 10 minutes. Set aside.

3. Reduce heat to 200 degrees.

4. Mix sugar and cocoa together and dissolve espresso powder in water.

5. Beat egg whites with cream of tarter until soft peaks form.

6. Gradually beat in sugar mixture until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla extract and espresso then gently fold in pignoli.

7. Drop small teaspoonfuls of meringue on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (You may also pipe whites onto baking sheet using pastry tips.)

8. Bake until crisp and dry - about 2 hours. Remove from oven and run a sharp knife under meringues to loosen them. Let cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

If you'll forgive me, I'd like to address the comments below by "Steel Chef." I did fail to note folding in the pignoli in the recipe (now corrected), but you will note he didn't even attempt the recipe. Apparently he is much more a Frozen-dinner Chef. Even the most carefully vetted recipe can contain inaccuracies. A cup of flour can range from 110 to 140 grams. My last oven thought 325 degrees was 350 degrees when I bought it. I can buy smoked turkey legs at a local supermarket but Whole Foods couldn't source them and asked for a substitution in a recipe I created for them.

Cooking isn't a science nor an art. It is combination of the two - a craft. It requires judgment and experience. Mostly, it requires imagination, adaptability, and love. I suspect "Steel Chef" lacks these.