Cinnamon Maple Meringue Cookie Recipe
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Are Meringue Cookies Gluten Free?
Meringue is basically just egg whites, sugar, and a stabilizer. No gluten. Depending on which type of meringue you’re making, there may be other ingredients added, but those 3 are the basics.
How Meringue Cookies Are Made
Meringue cookies are based on the Swiss meringue method of whisking over a double-boiler and then whisking until thick and glossy, like marshmallow cream.
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Once you’ve achieved the perfect meringue consistency, you can then pipe the meringue into any shape before drying out in the oven on a very low heat. The drying-out process can be a little difficult if you are impatient, but it’s not something to be rushed. You want to dry them, not cook them.
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Are Meringue Cookies Fat Free?
Due to the fact that the presence of fats (ie: egg yolks) in meringue will cause the egg whites to deflate, and therefore never really able to achieve their trademark pillow-like texture, meringue is a naturally fat-free food. This is why it’s extremely important not to get even a speck of yolk in your egg whites when separating your eggs.
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I often think of meringues as being a little too sophisticated to serve to my kids, but they beg to differ. Every time I make these, they are right there at the oven waiting for a taste. And trying to keep little hands out of the cookies once they’re completely dried out is basically impossible. They love the combination of maple and cinnamon in these fun-to-eat treats.
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Maple Meringue Cookies
Meringues are also a fun departure from the standard Christmas cookie for your annual cookie swap. Just 2 egg whites and 1/2 cup of maple syrup turns into 70-80 meringues. That’s a pretty decent ROI, and if you’re using a KitchenAid stand mixer, you could double the recipe and have meringues all week long. Who wouldn’t want that?
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Cinnamon Maple Meringues {refined-sugar-free}
Yield: 75 meringues
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Egg Whites, reserve the yolks to make some eggnog or pudding
- 1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 1-1/4 tsp Ground Ceylon Cinnamon, plus more for dusting
- Ground Nutmeg, for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring a couple inches of water to a low simmer.
- In a large heatproof bowl (I use my KitchenAid stand mixer bowl or a glass mixing bowl), add the egg whites, maple syrup, and salt. Place bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
- Whisk the egg whites over the simmering water until the mixture is warm to the touch. This may take about 3-5 minutes, depending on how low your simmer is. Remove from heat.
- Right away, start beating the egg whites on high speed using the whisk attachment on the stand mixer.
- Beat until the egg whites have turned thick and shiny (like marshmallow creme) with stiff peaks. This takes about 3 minutes with my KitchenAid.
- Gently fold in the cinnamon with a silicone spatula to combine evenly.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200°F.
- Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (or tip of your choice) and pipe cookies onto the parchment lined baking sheet. I make my meringues on the smaller side, about 1" diameter, but get creative if you want a different piping tip/shape/size.
- Sprinkle just a tiny bit of nutmeg and ground cinnamon on top of each meringue. I prefer to grate fresh nutmeg.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until dry to the touch. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door with a wooden spoon, and leave the meringues in for 1 more hour to finish drying them out.
- Keep in mind that humidity affects meringues. These are best made on low-humidity days. Winter is the best season for making meringues and ensuring they dry out completely.
Storing
- Meringues are destroyed by humid environments. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. So long as they are kept airtight, they should last for weeks.
- These are delicious eaten on their own or used as decoration on the Grain-Free Chocolate Mud Cake.
Nutrition Information
Yield 75Serving Size 1 meringue
Amount Per ServingCalories 10Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 4mgSodium 8mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 2gProtein 0g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate
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