Thymemeringuecookieswithboozyapple Food

CORNMEAL-THYME COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cornmeal, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Add flour mixture; mix on low speed until just combined. Mix in currants and thyme.
• Using a tablespoon or a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop, drop rounded balls of dough onto lined sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating and switching positions of sheets about halfway through, until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies, on parchment, to a wire rack. Let cool completely.

BETTY'S EASY MERINGUE COOKIES (2 INGREDIENTS)

Steps:

• Beat whites until very stiff.
• Gradually add sugar and keep beating until mixture forms peaks.
• Grease or spray, with cooking oil a large cookie sheet and put teaspoon amounts on to the sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Place in preheated 225 degree oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes. Check to see if the center of the cookie is dry for doneness.
• If dry, remove from oven and bang sheet- the cookies should jump off the sheet!
• Note: Do not brown!

FUDGY MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Place 1/2 cup chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Cook in 15-second intervals until chocolate softens; stir until melted and smooth. Cool chocolate to lukewarm, about 10 minutes. Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in small bowl to blend.
• Using electric mixer, beat room-temperature egg whites, vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1 cup sugar in 4 additions, beating just to blend after each addition. Continue to beat until meringue is thick and glossy like marshmallow creme, about 2 minutes longer. Beat in cocoa mixture. Fold in melted chocolate, then 1/2 cup chips.
• Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake cookies 7 minutes. Reverse sheets and bake until dry-looking and cracked, about 6 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

THYME-MERINGUE COOKIES WITH BOOZY APPLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the apple, bourbon, dark brown sugar and vinegar. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture boils and liquid reduces, about 3 minutes. Reduce the temperature to low and cover. Stir the apple mixture every few minutes, until the apples have darkened and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a food processor, pulse the walnuts and powdered sugar until the walnuts are finely ground, about a minute. Add the thyme and pulse for 10 seconds.
• In a standing mixer or using a hand-held mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until white and almost stiff, then slowly add the cane sugar and then the vanilla. Increase the speed until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are thick and glossy. Remove the beaters and gently fold in the walnut mixture in 3 additions.
• Fit a piping bag with just the base tip, so that the opening is ¾-inch wide. Rest the bag tip down in a cup while filling it. Use a rubber spatula to scoop the cookie mixture from bowl to bag, then twist the top to keep the meringue from spilling out. Holding the bag upright, squeeze gently to pipe a 1-inch circle. Lightly lift the bag to create a small peak. After all the rounds have been piped, place one small apple piece over each peak.
• Bake for 25 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the meringues cool in the oven for an hour.
• To maintain the crisp texture, leave the meringues loosely covered (not airtight) on a plate or in a bag. Makes approximately 3 dozen.