#CreativeCookieExchange Sunny Side Up Meringues

This is my first month of participating in the #CreativeCookieExchange, and as my fiancee pointed out- “Do you REALLY need another baking group?” But I couldn’t resist the freedom this group gives me. All of my other groups follow along a book, and everyone makes the same  two recipes of the month. #CreativeCookieExchange gives my mind the chance to run wild- combine ideas from Pinterest and other blogs, with recipes hidden in my recipe box, magazines and all the many books I have, all with one theme per month in mind.

So April is Meringue month- I couldn’t have been happier, and knew almost immediately what I would make. This was an easy decision for me. Sunny Side Up Meringues from Dorie Greenspan’s Dorie’s Cookies. I will end up repeating this recipe at some point in time with my Tuesdays with Dorie group, but oh well.

Dorie suggests and gives a recipe for making the lemon curd, but with it being Easter weekend (and a very busy baking weekend for me), I decided to use a store bought lemon curd that we’re actually VERY fond of- it’s just not as bright “popping  yellow curd as homemade is. These would have looked better with the homemade stuff, but they still tasted great.

Has anyone figured it out yet? Sunny Side Up?

They’re supposed to look like a Sunny Side Up egg.

The “egg white” is a traditional meringue “cookie” or candy, flavored with rose extract and vanilla.

Sunny Side Up Meringues

Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan, page 300

• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp rose extract or lemon oil
• Lime, Lemon, Grapefruit or mixed citrus curd

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Push the 1 tablespoon sugar and the confectioner’s sugar though a fine mesh strainer and set aside

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer (make sure your tools are impeccably clean and free of even a trace of fat, grease or yoke, egg whites’ enemies), beat the whites, cream of tartar and salt on medium-high speed until the whites form soft peaks, about 3 minutes.

Add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time. It will take 5 minutes or even a little longer to get all the sugar into the whites, but, as persnickety as it seems, it will be worth your patience. Add the extract and beat for another 2 minutes or so. You’ll have stiff, glossy, beautifully white peaks. Switch to a flexible spatula and fold in the reserved sugars.

To shape the meringues, use an ice cream scoop. Leave at least 2 inches between the meringues on the sheets. To create the indents, run your thumb under cold water, shake off the excess and then use it to make a thumbprint. After you’ve pressed it into the meringue, run your thumb around the crater, quickly and lightly smearing the meringue to smooth the interior.

Bake the meringues-undisturbed- for one hour 15 minutes. They will puff and crack, but they shouldn’t color (they might be pale beige here and there, and that’s fine). Turn off the heat and prop the oven door open (just a crack; enough to let air out) with the handle of a wooden spoon. Leave the meringues to finish baking and drying for another two hours, or for as long as overnight. They’re ready when you can easily peel them off the paper or mat.

When you’re ready to serve, put a spoonful of curd in the center of each meringue. you don’t want to do this too much in advance, because the curd softens the meringue.

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Meringue Cookies are light, airy and sweet treats. They can be soft and chewy with a crisp exterior, or crisp throughout. They are sometimes known as “Forgotten Cookies” because they are cooked for a long time in the oven, but we can guarantee you that none of these cookies will be forgotten!

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Creamsicle Meringue Melting Moments by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
• Fudgy Meringue Cookies by Oven Delights
• Sunny Side Up Meringues by Cream and Butter Blog
• Espresso Meringue Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Chewy Almond Macaroons by Food Lust People Love
• Cocoa Meringues by Flours and Frosting