MERINGUE KISS COOKIES

MERINGUE KISS COOKIES image

Yield 6 doz.

Number Of Ingredients 7

72 Hershey's Kisses candy
4 egg whites, room temp.
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/4 t. table salt
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. extract (recipe called for mint, but use vanilla or almond?)
?Gel food color

Steps:

Separate eggs, then let come to room temperature before beating. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line backing sheets with parchment paper. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on medium-high speed until whites reach soft peaks, 2-3 minutes. Slowly add sugar, 1 T. at a time, with mixer running, until it's all added. Add extract and food color to desired shade as egg whites near stiff peaks (after about 8 minutes of beating). Continue beating on high until they reach stiff, glossy peaks, about 10 minutes total. Transfer meringue to large piping bag fitted with medium straight piping tip. Pipe meringue over tops of candy kisses, allowing meringue to completely cover each one and touch the parchment. Bake cookies 1-1/2 hours. Turn off oven and allow cookies to rest in oven until completely cooled, about 3 hours.