Cookie Party

What is Christmas without a cookie party?  I like an adventure so I tried something new.  And I must say these turned out better than perfect for me.  They look great, are super easy to make (the chocolate dipping is a little tricky especially when done at midnight) but most importantly they taste wonderful!

Chocolate Covered Snow Peaks

by Tyler Florence

Ingredients

·         4 large egg whites at room temperature

·         1 teaspoon cream of tartar

·         1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar

·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on low-medium speed with the whisk attachment until the whites become foamy. Add the cream of tartar and turn speed up to medium, beating until just fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, so it incorporates into the whites slowly without collapsing them. Once all the sugar has been added, add the vanilla and increase the speed to high, whisking until the meringue is firm and glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Place meringue mixture into a piping bag with a medium-sized nozzle attached. Pipe 24 bite-sized "kiss"-shaped meringues onto the trays and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour undisturbed then turn off heat and leave in the oven overnight to really dry out.

Melt chocolate over a double-boiler or in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. Holding each meringue by the peak dip the bases in chocolate so the bottom half of the meringue is coated. Let any excess chocolate drop off before placing on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Allow to set at room temperature - do not put in the fridge. Once set, store in an airtight container.

Just before I popped them into the oven!

The finished product!
Those tips are hard to keep from breaking