I’m not usually a fan of meringue and meringue cookies. The main components being egg whites and sugar, I often find them too sweet. With these cookies, I’m going to call Black & White Kisses because it sounds so sophisticated. The use of 70% dark chocolate really balances out the sweetness. What I once thought of as a sugary, kiddie treat is now transformed into a light and airy adult indulgence. The bite size treat releases a puff of chocolate air that dissolves into the corners of your mouth.

cup of Black & White Kisses

These are more work intensive, especially when compared to the simple drop cookie. Sometimes I just feel like I should put in extra work (masochism anyone?) and that was the case here when I was looking for something to bring to Cookie Fest 2010. The meet and swap organized by Gail (One Tough Cookie), Chris (The Peche), Maggie (Three Many Cooks), and Abby (author Abby Dodge) was such a blast!

Black & White Kisses
~adapted from Flo Braker’s Meringue Bubbles
~50 to 60 cookies

cookie bottom

  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

meringue

  • 1/4 cup (about 2 large) fresh egg whites
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate (preferably 70%), finely grated

Instructions –

1. Cream butter with the paddle attachment in a stand mixer. Beat in sugar until combined and fluffy. Scrape down the sides. On low speed, gradually add flour until just well combined.

2. Press the dough into two equal sized balls. Roll both balls out between wax paper into 8″ circles, 1/4″ thick. Keep the dough in between the wax paper and place on a baking sheet. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours and up to 3 days).

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one circle of dough from the fridge and peel off top sheet of wax paper. Place wax paper back on, turn over and peel off other sheet of wax paper. Use 1 1/4″ circle cutters to cut out cookie circles. (The fat end of a 1/2″ plain decorating tip like Ateco #6 is also 1 1/4″) Place them 1/2″ apart on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 minutes or just until set. Repeat with other dough circle and cool on wire racks.

butter cookie bottom

4. Turn oven down to 225 degrees F. When the cookie bottoms are cool, place all of them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, 1/4″ apart.

5. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-low until the surface is frothy. Increase the speed to medium and beat in half of the sugar. Whip until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff, shiny peaks form.

6. Fold chocolate into the meringue and immediately transfer into a pastry bag with a 1/2″ plain decorating tip (like Ateco #6). Pipe a kiss onto each cookie bottom following the diameter of the cookie bottom. (If you have extra meringue, you can just pipe kisses onto parchment paper and bake without cookie bottoms.)

Black & White Kisses before baking 2

7. Bake for 60 minutes at 225 degrees F, or until meringues are firm. Cool on a wire rack. Remove from parchment and serve. They are best eaten the same day but can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.

Black & White Kisses (set 2) 3

posted by jessica at 04:26 PM Filed under Desserts, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.