Peppermint Meringue Sandwiches With Chocolate Filling Recipes

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES WITH CHOCOLATE FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; secure corners with masking tape. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22). Set aside.
• Make meringues: Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whiskattachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.
• Using a new small paintbrush, paint 2 or 3 stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time.
• Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, make ganache: Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let ganache cool at room temperature, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until thick enough to hold its shape, about 45 minutes. (If ganache setsbefore using, reheat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; repeat the cooling process.)
• Before serving or mailing, fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #5) with ganache. Pipe a small amount onto bottom of 1 meringue. Sandwich with another. Repeat with remaining ganache and meringues. Transfer to wire racks; let set 30 minutes.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.
• Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MERINGUE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 225°. In a small bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar and almond flour until blended. Beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Fold in confectioners' sugar mixture., Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a #805 round pastry tip. Pipe 1-in.-diameter cookies 1 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a finger moistened with water, smooth tops of cookies., Bake 40-45 minutes or until firm to the touch. Turn oven off (do not open oven door); leave cookies in oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool completely on baking sheets., Place semisweet and unsweetened chocolates in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, combine cream and corn syrup; bring just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Remove 1 cup ganache to another bowl; refrigerate 25-30 minutes or until mixture is thick enough to pipe, stirring occasionally. Reserve remaining ganache for dipping; let stand, covered, at room temperature, stirring occasionally., Transfer chilled ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a #802 round pastry tip.Pipe onto bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. (Ganache may soften as it warms. If necessary, return ganache to refrigerator until firm enough to pipe.), Place toppings in separate shallow bowls. Dip each sandwich cookie halfway in room temperature ganache; allow excess to drip off. (If necessary, warm ganache in microwave for 10 seconds to thin slightly.) If desired, dip ganache in coarse sugar or crushed peppermint candies; place on waxed paper and let stand until set. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Shape into two 10-1/2-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight., Unwrap dough and cut into 1/8-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 9-11 minutes or until edges are set. Remove to wire racks to cool. , In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, milk extract and if desired red food coloring; beat until smooth. Spread on the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

PEPPERMINT CREAM SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disk; cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. fluted round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough., In a large bowl, beat butter and extracts until creamy. Beat in confectioners' sugar, alternately with milk, until smooth. Tint as desired with food coloring. Spread frosting on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.