Christmas Cookies–Meringue Drop Cookies

This is the last of the Christmas cookies!  It’s another of my grandmother’s Christmas only cookie and were one of my favourites!  I’m not going to lie here, as I write this I just had one and it tasted exactly as Gran made them.  Memories flooding back, so miss her!  She was the most awesome person and a little wack-a-doodle!  Which I love in all my friends and family :)

Check out this picture, it was taken on their property outside of Toronto, Ontario.  They lived on a 150 acre farm and she always wore a skirt, even when out and about in the winter.  This pic still hangs in our house because it is so Gran!  She was a mad gardener, sewer and baker/cook extraordinaire.  I guess I got two of the three gifts :)  What I remember most is that when we would visit on a cold weekend, she would go into her freezer and start pulling stuff out.  Most of the time she didn’t know what it was and would make the most amazing soups on the planet. One time I remember her saying “it’s a green veggy”, could have been spinach or broccoli.  What it was was an amazing tasting soup!  I sadly didn’t get that specific gift but I did get the love of cooking and baking in general.  She is my inspiration for most of the stuff that goes up on this blog.  I can’t believe she’s been gone over 15 years now.

Before the tears roll, back to the cookies.

Now meringue cookies aren’t specifically Christmas but Gran always added a little something to the centre kind of like a present.  The white ones have a peanut butter cream and the green ones are mint with chocolate chips.

Recipe:

• 6 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• chocolate chips
• green food colouring (I used Americolor)

1. Preheat oven to 200 F
2. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In bowl of a mixer, whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks.
4. Start adding sugar a little at a time until incorporated and the mixture forms stiff glossy peaks.
5. Separate into halves.  Place white meringue into a piping bag.
6. In another bowl add 1/4 tsp peppermint flavouring and a tiny squirt of green food colouring.  You don’t want them too green, just a hint! Place in piping bag.
7. In small bowl, mix peanut butter and icing sugar together.
8. Pipe small flat circles (inch to inch and a half), a couple inches a part on baking sheet.
9. To white meringue circles add a small amount of peanut butter mixture and to green meringue circles add 2-3 chocolate chips.
10. Pipe meringue over top to cover centres.  Green on green, white on white!
11. Bake for an hour and half or until meringue is completely dry to touch.
12. Remove and cool on baking sheets.  Store in airtight containers.  My Gran use to freeze them too, I haven’t attempted that yet.
13. Enjoy!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Christmas cookies!  Sadly that’s all I’ve got, so next year I’ll have to use my brain to think up more :)

I’m pretty sure Gran would approve of my take on her classic cookies! 

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays Everyone! 

I’ll be around next week but not baking just cyber stalking everyone else.  So until the new year, 2012!  I hope you all have a fabulous time with family and friends and join me back in the new year with some even better treats!  and of course back to the gym! (who’s with me????)

Thanks for looking!

Linking with:

Full Plate Thursday; Sweet Treat Thursday;

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