Blog

Costa Rican Chocolate Tour: The Process, A Tour, and Cocoa

March 12, 2015

Nothing like a little trip out of the country to check out one of my favorite things. You guessed it, cocoa. We took a Costa Rican Chocolate Tour on our trip. If you have never been to a cocoa farm to see the cocoa process and you have the opportunity to go, I would highly recommend it.

Costa Rican Chocolate

Costa Rica has long been a popular tourist destination for people around the world. With its rich natural environment, friendly people and delicious cuisine, it's not hard to see why it is such a desirable vacation spot. One of Costa Rica's most popular exports is cocoa beans – and there are several reasons why so many visitors come back from their vacations with bags full of this delectable treat! In this blog post we will explore how cocoa beans are processed into chocolate, what you can expect on a chocolate tour in Costa Rica, and more.

The Planning Process

While planning for a Costa Rica trip, I knew that a cocoa tour was something that I had wanted to do. The challenging part was finding a farm that worked with the trip schedule. I spent 10 days in Costa Rica, but in a different city almost each day. And after a few experiences of no success with reaching the local vendors, I must say I was a bit doubtful that I would actually make it to the cocoa farm. But luck was on my side this day, as I pulled into the parking lot with minutes to spare. If you have ever been to Costa Rica, you know the roads are pretty much dirt, it's extremely windy, and roads are full of huge potholes. So something that should take 30 minutes to get to turns into a three hour experience as you celebrate each missed pot hole.

The Cocoa Process

You can see from the image the small flowchart of the cocoa process. On this tour, we were able to see the plants, the fermentation process, and a small bit of the drying and roasting. Then we watched them grind up the beans and made it into a delicious cocoa powder. We could then mix with hot water and got to create our own add ins for flavors.

The Cocoa Plants

The cocoa plants they try to keep small. The reason they do this is that it won't require ladders to pick the pods off the branches. Most of the plants we saw were around 8' tall. The pods were about the size of my hand, around 6-7". Once the pods were picked, they were broken open. You can see that each pod has about 15-20 beans. Each one of these beans are then removed and placed into the fermentation container, where they sit for seven days fermenting. Each section of the fermentation container is for a day. So you can see the process from day one through day seven.

The Drying Process

After they have completed the fermentation, they then go through the process of drying. This is done outside under the sunshine. Once they are dry, is when you really start to see what a cocoa bean looks and smells like. At this time, they had a small stove where they roasted some beans for the tourists to try. Once roasted they are a little softer and you can easily break them with your hand. When the roasting is completed, here is where the good stuff happens, also known as the blending of flavors once ground to create any drink you would like. I have no doubt this was everyone's favorite part. The sky was the limit and it seemed the refills would never stop. If you want to learn more about chocolate tasting we did a tasting guide to help you understand the process.

When Was Your Last Food Tour?

When you are in a foreign country always try to take some sort of food tour or cooking class. I do this on every trip I take and I always love it. I learn something new, I get to practice speaking the language, and I see how other cultures do things. Worth every penny.

Looking For More Recipes?

Subscribe to my free newsletter to get new baking tips in your inbox monthly. Find me sharing new recipes and tips on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. What that means is if you click on one of our affiliate links, they may toss a few pennies our way for a commission.

Austin's Best Desserts - 2015

February 24, 2015

I don't think there are enough days in a year to enjoy all the best of desserts in this city! So I'll start with a few of my favorites and just keep adding as the year goes on. It really is a tough job, but someone does have to do it. I just hope my clothes still fit next year at this time!

It was difficult to pick my favorites, but Austin has a little niche of awesome female pastry chefs. So I thought I would focus on restaurants that met that criteria. I met some really awesome chefs with this project. I also tried to stick with downtown, or close to downtown for this first go around since so many South by Southwest visitors use the guide. But rest assured, excellent desserts are not only downtown in this little city!

I wish I had enough room to share every Chef's story in this post, but I cannot, so you can just check back for the updates of the conversations. I think we will go with a monthly post of Lunch With a Pastry Chef. Sticking with that theme, I am going to share my conversations that I had with Pastry Chef, Angel Begaye, from Trace.

Angel, after being in Austin for almost a year and a half, can no longer be called a newcomer to the city. Shoot, at the rate people move here, you are practically a native after a year! Chef Angel has been working with the Starwood brand of hotels for almost 8 years now. After completing her culinary degree at Le Cordon Bleu in Arizona, she began working with the Phoenician, part of the luxury collection of Starwood hotels. Angel has a great background. She grew up in Arizona and not too far from her grandparents who lived on a Navajo reservation. As a Native American spending so much time on the reservation, she learned to appreciate the land and be extremely creative making the most with limited resources. She understands how to make due when a grocery store run isn't always available. In my mind, I have no doubt she is one of those people that can open up a refrigerator, and with only milk, eggs, maybe a vegetable, and some basic pantry items can whip up a five course dinner. Now when I open up my refrigerator and see just those ingredients, we are eating pancakes or going out for dinner.

With those kind of skills, it's no surprise she has ended up at Trace. Trace has a dedication to socially responsible food. Their cuisine is prepared from locally sourced and sustainable ingredients. It's not uncommon to see the Trace chefs out at the downtown farmers market on Saturday mornings picking ingredients for the weeks menu planning.

One of the items I sampled was the Johnson's Backyard Garden Beet Yogurt. This dessert is a roasted JBG red beet yogurt mousse, local honey creme, pistachio micro sponge, all topped with toasted pistachio and beet chips. It's no secret I'm not a beet eater. My first thought is ick, when someone says beets. But wow this dessert was wonderful! Earthy, smooth flavor, perfectly paired and just delicious. Not too sweet and just the right amount of beet flavor.

The other dessert I sampled was the Chocolat au Lait. Now when the description starts with Valrhona, I'm all over it! I'm a raving fan of Valrhona, and can't get enough of it. This was a Valrhona Caramelia mousse, milk chocolate almond cake, opalys white chocolate ganache, vanilla opalys creme and raspberry gel. Even with as many components as this desert has, everyone of them was delicious.

I don't have a favorite of these two, which is why they both made the write up. Now before we move onto some other favorites for this write up I wanted to share something that Chef Angel said during our lunch. I asked her if there was anything she wanted to make sure was mentioned in the writeup or anything about her we should know. And she thought about it for a moment and came back with such a simple but powerful statement. She said, "I believe as long as you have a fundamental appreciation of the background of food, and what you can do with it, you have endless possibilities." It's this kind of thinking that will continue to let Trace have some fabulous and creative desserts.

Trace is located at: 200 Lavaca Street, Austin TX.

Hours are: Breakfast M-F 6:30am - 11:00am, Sat & Sun 7:30am - 10:30am

Lunch: M-F 11:30am - 2:30pm

Dinner: Mon - Thurs 5:30pm - 10:00pm, Fri - Sun 5:30pm - 11:00pm

From Trace I jumped in the car and headed on over to Perla's. They have one of my favorite desserts that has been on the menu for a while, but I order it every single time. The Salted Butterscotch Pot de Creme with coconut lace cookies and whipped creme fraiche. Good grief that salted butterscotch flavor is soooooo delicious! Pastry Chef Natalie Gazaui is whom we have to thank for keeping this on the menu. And I hope it stays there for a really long time! Perla's has a wonderful outdoor dining area in addition to the dining room. It's one of my favorite ways to spend an hour. Sitting on that patio enjoying a cold beverage under the many shade trees eating dessert with friends. Doesn't get much better than that no matter who you are.

Perlas is located at: 1400 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX

Hours are: Lunch M-F 11:30am - 3pm

Dinner: Daily 5:30 - close

Next on the list is Second Bar & Kitchen. Michele Arcilla Hall is the Pastry Chef that creates these wonderful desserts. I sampled the milk chocolate hazelnut mousse, with rum roasted banana ice cream and coffee streusel. Oh that hazelnut mousse...Delish! What I love about Second Bar & Kitchen is that they have regular dessert plates and also dessert bites on the menu. So if hazelnut mousse isn't for you, maybe a sampling of dark chocolate fudge, or poppy seed snickerdoodles will be more appealing to you.

Second Bar & Kitchen is located at: 200 North Congress Avenue, Austin TX

Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11am - midnight, Friday & Saturday 11am - 2am

And the last spot on the list for today is Clarks Oyster Bar. I know what you are thinking...Oyster bar...Dessert... I'm telling you, just go there! This is another spot that I couldn't commit to a favorite and actually went with two desserts. See why I'm worried already about fitting into my clothes next year?!?

I had heard the basque cake was a must try, and my sources were correct! Cherry preserves, cream cheese ice cream and marcona almonds... YUM! But while I was there I saw the triple chocolate bread pudding. Now you are talking! Malted heath bar crunch ice cream on top of piping hot bread pudding! Oh my! If you are a bread pudding person, this is a must have.

Clarks is located at: 1200 W 6th Street, Austin TX.

Hours: Lunch Menu M-F 11am

Dinner: Sunday - Wednesday until 10:30pm, Thursday - Saturday until 11:00pm

So there you have it! My favorite desserts for 2015...So far! And as always if you have something we must try, leave a comment and we will be sure to get there!

Austin's Best Donuts 2015

February 24, 2015

I will say this was a really difficult task. I don't eat a lot of donuts, but when I find the right one I can't stop eating it! Spoiler alert...A glazed donut from St Philip is that right one! Good grief, that thing is melt in your mouth delicious! And what makes it even worse is that they are close...really, really close.

I have a round up of five donut shops. Each one made the list for their own specific reason. Now if you are looking for a donut shop in South Austin, I'd trek on over to KC donuts. These donuts were light, fluffy, not greasy and had excellent flavor. I know that bacon maple looks really good in the image, but my favorite was a good old fashion lemon filled. I could eat that lemon curd all day long! The chocolate was next on my list of favorites. They have a cream filled, or plain. Can't go wrong with either of them. And if you are a bacon lover, well then you know what you must do!

KC Donuts can be found at: 8106 Brodie Lane, Austin TX 78745 (512) 282.9177 Open daily 7am - 3pm.

Next on the list is Kens Donuts. It's definitely an old school donut shop by UT's West Campus. These guys offer a great solid donut. They had several flavors of cake and yeast donuts. What's great about Ken's Donuts is that they are open 24 hours a day. And wait...it gets better...they deliver! Of course there is a minimum order for that delivery, but one never knows when a donut craving will strike!

Kens Donuts can be found at: 2820 Guadalupe, Austin TX 78705 (512) 320.8484 Open daily 24 hours

Then we have Red Rabbit Coop Bakery. I had never heard of these guys until I went on the donut hunt. But what I like about this donut is the convenience factor. At the Wheatsville Coop grocery store is where you can find pretty much their entire line of donuts. They have great things like Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Glazed Donuts or Coffee Glazed Donuts. And maybe we should spend some time talking about the Austin Cream Pie Donut. So good! And I don't say this very much on my site, but these baked goods are hand made and VEGAN!

Red Rabbit Coop Bakery Donuts can be found at: Wheatsville, both locations, Whole Foods Gateway, Whole Foods Domain. They can also be found around town at various coffee shops.

No donut list in Austin would be complete without a mention of Gourdoughs. Now this is a donut that requires a fork and knife. They make the list just for their creative genius. In all my days, I have never seen such creations on a donut. They have a food truck on South First, but if you are so inclined, they have a brick and mortar location, Gourdoughs Public House on South Lamar where you can get hamburgers with donuts for buns and wash it all down with a beer. It's a little much for me, but I have no doubt there are some champion eaters that come to this city and Gourdoughs is exactly what they are looking for...Big Fat Donuts!

Gourdoughs Donuts can be found at: 1503 S 1st St, Austin TX 78704 Mon-Thur 10am to Midnight, Friday 10am - 3am, Saturday 8am - 3am, Sunday 8am - midnight.

Gourdoughs Public House: 2700 South Lamar Blvd, Austin TX 78704, Mon - Fri 11am - midnight, Saturday 10am - 1am, Sunday 10am - midnight.

And last but certainly not least. The new love in my donut world is from the newcomer, St. Philip Bakeshop. The bakeshop is new, but make no mistake, this restaurant is part of the top notch Uchi brand. And the quality and superior customer service is easily identifiable as their product. They seem to change the donut creations every few weeks. The first time I stopped in they had a chocolate covered heath bar donut, and a cassis and granola donut. Now this week they have a hazelnut donut and my all time favorite, a good old fashioned glazed donut. Gosh that thing was delish! I took a few home and even after a few hours of it sitting on the counter, it was still my favorite. I know I'm going to be sad one day if I show up and it's no longer there. But I'm sure the replacement will be spectacular and over the top creative with flavors.

St. Phillip Bakeshop can be found at: 4715 South Lamar, Austin, TX 78745. Monday - Friday 7am - 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am - 9pm.

So there you have it! Austin's best donuts for 2015. And as always if you know of a place that should be on the list, leave a comment and we will gladly check them out!

Austin's Best Chocolates 2015

February 18, 2015

This is my first year writing for the city guide and I couldn't be more excited. Not only do I get to write about my favorite things, I get to sample all of those things. And it's no secret I have a love for chocolate. These chocolate folks are relative new comers to the Austin food scene and I have chosen my three favorites. We have a bean to bar maker, a retail store, and a wholesaler that is all throughout Austin specialty shops. As you can see from the images, there are quite a variety of chocolates that are produced by these three companies.

I'll start with Srsly Chocolate. They are a bean to bar company. But first, a little background on what bean to bar is. Bob Williamson and his wife Robin Simoneaux-Williamson spend their time roasting fermented cacao beans they receive from the Conacado Cooperative in the Dominican Republic to bring out the chocolate flavor of the beans. Once roasted, they crack the beans to remove the cacao nibs from their husks. The nibs are roughly ground, where over time, they transform into a paste, before getting scooped into a granite stone mill and refined for days. Once it is fluid enough, sugar is added, and then the chocolate is tempered and poured into the molds to make the bars you see here. And I must say I can't wait to do some experimental baking with these bars! You can bet there will be future posts about this chocolate! Currently there are two bar sizes and four varieties of Srsly Chocolates. They have an 84% dark, a 70% dark, an Oaxacan espresso, and a sea salt and almond flavor. They can be found at: Wheatsville Co-Op, Whole Foods, Live Oak Market, and River City Market. You can also order from their website if you don't feel like having a bunch of chocolate in your suitcase to carry home. These two take their chocolate seriously but like to have fun at the same time, which is probably one of my favorite reasons for liking them so much.

Next on my list is Chocolaterie Tessa. Tessa Halstead is no stranger to chocolate. She started working at the age of 14 at her father's chocolate factory where her love of chocolate began, and she has continued to hone her skills over the years. Just within the last year, Tessa has opened up a retail shop. It's a cute little shop in central Austin. Small enough to feel cozy and comfortable, yet large enough to produce large volumes of European style chocolates. Tessa offers all sorts of bonbons with custom flavors like the Italian Cherry, which is whole Amarena cherry macerated in kirsch and buttercream. The Mocha Pyramid, which is coffee ganache enrobed in dark chocolate. And one cannot leave the store without getting the salted caramels. The edible boot is a special for SXSW and makes for a great souvenir at a reasonable price of $25.00 #YUM

The store is open M-F 10-6 and Saturdays 11-4. 7425 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78757.

And the third chocolate maker is Steve Lawrence of The Chocolate Makers Studio. Steve was my first introduction into Austin chocolates while I was at Le Cordon Bleu. If you are familiar with culinary school, then you know that everyone must do an externship. I spent about eight weeks working with Steve before leaving for America's Test Kitchen. His flavors are creative and the blends of European chocolate that he uses make a great base for his candies. His specialty is bars of chocolates and if you are going to have just one, I'd recommend the cardamom and honey caramel with sea salt bar. Or if you are looking for something Texas themed, you must try his salted brown butter TX Pecan brittle bar. I don't even like Pecans, and I love this bar! You just can't go wrong with those ingredients. Actually I should say, that anything caramel made by Steve is worth your time. Salted caramel, rosemary caramel, etc. Good grief, it's just good stuff. Oh and don't even get me going about his peanut butter and jelly bonbon. If you haven't tried it, it's a must have! He also has drinking chocolates and chocolate sauces. My favorite is the five spice drinking chocolate. Nothing like a thick hot chocolate with just the right amount of spice. Now for the chocolate sauces, the fruit blend is always top on my list when I need something delicious. Put that on ice cream on a hot summer day...DELISH

His chocolate products can be found all around town. Antonelli's Cheese Shop, Coterie Market, Austin Wine Merchant, Prima Dora, and Breed and Co.

Chocolate Makers Studio Information Sheet

And there you have it! Best of Austin chocolates for 2015. If you have any other chocolate makers that we missed, please leave a message in the comments and we will be sure to get out and taste them as soon as we can.

How To Taste Chocolate: Notes From The Test Kitchen

February 6, 2015

Do you ever feel like there's chocolate overload? There are so many brands, types and flavors of chocolate to choose from. Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. In my test kitchen at my shop, we were tasting some chocolates for these brown butter pecan chocolates that I wanted to make. We had six different chocolates - all very similar in taste but each with their own subtle differences. It's always a fun day when we get to spend it tasting chocolate in the test kitchen.

I recruited a friend to help me out. Let's face it, in reality that's always the easiest part of this task, who isn't up for chocolate tasting! I provided each of us with a tasting note card like I had used at America's Test Kitchen when we had done recipe tasting. And we had a glass of water for the palate cleansing.

In my mind, it was a simple enough task. I had sampled chocolate so many times in my life I didn't even think that others haven't. We finished with the six samples. It was clear that three contained a better blend than the others. Once we had finished I knew the one I was going to use. But after talking with my friend, he confesses that they are so close he could not make a definite choice between the remaining three. Has that ever happened to you?

Steps to Chocolate Tasting Like An Expert

After this tasting it occurred to me that chocolate tasting is very similar to wine tasting. Each type of chocolate contains its own set of unique flavors. The flavors change based on regions of where the cacao bean is grown. Topography, weather, soil conditions, and post harvesting also affect the taste of the chocolate. Just like wine. With so many flavors, one can see why it's important to taste carefully so you can get the fullest flavor potentials.

Since I was mixing pecans with the chocolate I knew that pecans flavored well with fruit, specifically fruits that are in the red category, like raspberries, cherries or strawberries. Or fruit in the tropical, yellow categories. Think pineapple, pear, apple or peach. So chocolate with those aromas were important to me because I knew they would pair well with the pecans.

Distraction Free Zone Is Important

When I taste chocolate I prefer to do it in an environment free of distractions. Being able to concentrate and focus is extremely important. The next important thing is to make sure your palate is clean. That means if you just ate dinner, you really need to cleanse your palate. Chocolate should not taste like a hamburger. Water, especially sparkling water, is really great for a palate cleanser.

The Touch

I like to close my eyes to concentrate and just hold a piece of chocolate in my hand. The touch of chocolate is very important. Does it feel soft or hard? Is it melting in my hand? Bend the chocolate to see the amount of pressure it takes to snap the piece. Did you hear the snap when you broke the piece of chocolate?

You Are Tasting Not Eating a Meal

The size of chocolate is important in tasting. Here is where we sometimes get in trouble. We have to remember we are tasting, not eating an entire bar of chocolate. You want a piece large enough to accommodate the full evolution of flavor, but not fill you up.

The Look

Next you want to look at the chocolate. The surface should be free of blemishes. No white marks, which are known as bloom. Does the chocolate have air bubbles, swirls or uneven surfaces? Good chocolate should be free of these defects. There should also be a nice sheen on the chocolate. A matte surface is usually an indication of poor molding. This won't affect the flavor; it just makes it look ugly.

Smell The Chocolate

Smell the chocolate! Inhale those fragrances! What do you smell? The aroma will vary depending on its variety. Do you smell fruits, nuts, spices, or even flowers? How intense is the smell?

Break the piece in half. You should hear a "SNAP!"

Taste

Now comes the good part! Pinch your nose closed, place the piece of chocolate on your tongue and allow it to get to body temperature. Let it melt slowly. You want the cocoa butter to distribute evenly in your mouth. Release your nose and take a deep breath in focusing on the aromatic notes. As it melts, concentrate on the flavors that are building on your tongue. Notice how the flavor evolves from beginning, middle to the end. Chewing is optional, but I try not to. And if I must chew, no more than three times is the rule I like to stick with.

How To Talk About Your Chocolate Taste

Ahhhh... bite number one is done. How was it? Bitter? Smooth? Creamy? Dry? Grainy? Did any changes happen in flavor from beginning to the end? Does it linger in your mouth or quickly vanish? Use a note card and write down your thoughts. What did you like? What didn't you like? Now take a drink of that water you have, and go for sample number two.

In Conclusion

I tried six different chocolates today, and when we were tasting all of them together it was hard to know where to start. They were all so delicious but what I definitely know, is that the process of trying them was a lot like tasting wine - where each taste offers its own nuances and subtleties to be explored. So if you're looking for new ways to experience this decadent treat or an excuse to host your next party with some friends over? Consider hosting a chocolate tasting event! There is a great book called Hidden Persuaders in Cocoa and Chocolate: A Flavor Lexicon for Cocoa and Chocolate Sensory Professionals by Renata Januszewska that can provide you with so much more detail on the processes of chocolate tasting and how to describe the flavors. She worked with Barry Callebaut and together they came up with The Chocolate Sensory Wheel. If you want to know a bit more about what happens on a Cocoa Farm you can read about our Costa Rican farm tour.

Looking For More Recipes?

Subscribe to my free newsletter to get new baking tips in your inbox monthly. Find me sharing new recipes and tips on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook.

Reindeer Corn

December 24, 2014

After 12 days of holiday baking, it seems like the main food groups are candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. So no sense in disappointing! This candy corn recipe is nothing short of delicious and easily fits into our main food groups! Reindeer Corn or Reindeer Christmas Corn is the same thing.

"We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup." — Buddy the Elf

What is Reindeer Corn Candy you ask? It’s the Christmas version of candy corn using the unique colors of Christmas.

We made a modified version of Alton Brown's candy corn recipe back in October and knew that this would be perfect for a gift during the holidays. It's an easy recipe with simple pantry ingredients. The little bit of honey gives this such good flavor.

Since these are finger foods, it was super easy to package Reindeer Candy Corn up in a little bottle that I got from the store and tie a big ribbon around for decorations. You could also fill a decorative candy dish with these and wrap with holiday plastic wrap.

It is with this final recipe that we wrap up the 12 days of holiday baking. I hope you have enjoyed the recipes as much as we did. If you have missed any of the days I feel like I should sing, on the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...Special K Bars. On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me...Rocky Road Bark, and Special K Bars. Somehow this just doesn't seem to work as well as the original song. So I'll spare you, but you get the idea.

Special K Bars

Rocky Road Bark

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Peppermint Bark

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

Salted Dulce de Leche Cookies

Chocolate Butter Cookies

Kringla Cookies

Red Velvet Cookies

Peppermint Meringues

Peanut Butter Truffles

And with that said, I feel I must wish everyone a happy holiday! Thank you for sticking around all year, reading the posts, trying the recipes, commenting, tweeting, liking, following and pinning. It's the simple things like that which keeps us motivated to continue cooking.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And remember...Eat Dessert First. Pass the Reindeer Corn, please.

Serena

5 from 14 votes

Reindeer Corn

Print Recipe

The only thing better than a bag of store-bought candy corn, is to make your own! This homemade version tastes great and is surprisingly simple to make.

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:6

Total Time:16

Ingredients

Candy Corn

4 ½ ounces confectioner's sugar
½ ounce nonfat dry milk
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 ½ ounces granulated sugar
2 ½ ounces light corn syrup
1 ¼ ounces honey
2 ½ tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 or 3 drops each red and green gel paste food coloring

Instructions

Directions

Combine the confectioners sugar, dry milk and salt in a food processor.
Pulse 4 or 5 times, until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, honey and water in a 2 quart pot. Place over medium heat, cover and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the butter, and bring the sugar syrup to 242°, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Add the vanilla and the dry mixture and stir continuously with a silicone spatula until well combined.
Pour onto a half sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Cool for 20 minutes, until the mixture is cool enough to handle.
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Add 2 or 3 drops of red food coloring to one piece and knead until the color is worked throughout.
Add 2 to 3 drops of the green to the second piece and knead until the color is worked throughout.
Leave the third piece white.
Cut each color of dough into thirds.
Roll each piece of dough into a strand about 22 inches long. Lay the strands side by side (green, red, then white) and press them together using your fingers. Cut off the uneven ends, then using a bench scraper or ruler, press each piece into a wedge, keeping the green section wide and making the white part come to a tip.
Use a bench scraper, pizza cutter or knife, to cut each wedge into individual candies. Lay the candies on a piece of parchment until dry. At least 2 hours. Store in an airtight container with parchment between each layer.

Notes

Recipe Source: SerenaLissy.com

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database via Spoonacular API, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators. While this information can be helpful in estimating the nutritional information of a recipe, it is by no means accurate or official and is not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

All images and content are copyright protected. Do not use our images without prior permission.

Nutrition

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Serena

Peppermint Meringues

December 22, 2014

Light and airy Peppermint Meringues Kisses are a simple and tasty holiday treat. Perfect for gift giving and cookie exchanges these Peppermint Meringue Cookies should top your holiday baking list.

Peppermint Meringues are a light and airy holiday treat. Give peppermint kisses this holiday season.

"Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas." -Peg Bracken

As Christmas day approaches and time is running short, the upcoming recipe is nothing but short. We are talking 10 minutes to scale it out and get it prepared before putting it in the oven. Once it's in the oven, you have almost two full hours that you can spend wrapping presents, or preparing for Christmas, or doing any other items that need to be done.

The peppermint flavor in these meringues is delicious. Not too much and not too little. These are bite size little cookies, that make great gifts if you fill a holiday mug with them and cover with a decorative plastic wrap and tie it closed with a big holiday bow.

Ingredients in Peppermint Meringues

I love that these only contain 4 simple ingredients!

Egg whites
Sugar
Peppermint extract
Red gel paste food coloring

We added some red gel paste to the batter before piping the cookies. I think it makes them look a little more festive with just the tiny bit of red running through them, but if you don't have the red gel paste, go ahead and make these without it. It does nothing for the flavor and is purely decorative. You could also go with green if you have that color instead.

Peppermint Meringues Process Collage How to Make Meringue Cookies

Tips For Making Meringue Cookies

Make sure your mixing bowl and beaters are clean and free of any greasy residue. The tiniest amount of a grease film left behind will prevent the egg whites from whipping up.
Use eggs at room temperature.
Be careful when separating the eggs. If any yolk gets into the egg whites, you'll need to start over. I recommend cracking the eggs into a small bowl then when you are confident you only have the whites, add to the mixer bowl.
Once the meringue is shiny and has stiff peaks, stop mixing. You don't want to over mix this.

More Peppermint Recipes You'll Love

Looking For More Recipes?

Subscribe to my free newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox monthly. Find me sharing new recipes and tips on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

If you have missed some of the 12 days of Christmas baking, you can find recipes one through nine here. I hope you are enjoying these meringue kisses as much as the recipients are enjoying them. We would love to hear how you do with the recipe. And most important, don't forget to save some for yourself!

Peppermint Meringues

Light and airy peppermint meringue cookies are perfect for holifay cookie exchanges.

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 45

Total Time: 2

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 11kcal

Author: Serena