Candy Cane Kisses

Candy Cane Kisses

From Masala Farm by Suvir Saran, with gratitude to Suvir,
adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen

For Nancy

This recipe will make you look forward every year to the arrival of fresh candy canes in the market. I’ve tried substituting those “starlight mints”, the ones you get in bags at the pharmacy, but they're not as good. Candy Canes are a seasonal food choice.

Here’s a truc: Leave them in their wrappers and pound them with a heavy skillet. Snip them open. Ta-da!

I found Ghirardelli mini chips. They're inexpensive and they worked well. Of course, you can upgrade to higher end chocolate and chop it into small bits.

Meringues are child’s play if you’re careful meticulous when separating eggs. If any yolk gets into the white, make an omelet. If there's any trace of fat in the bowl you're using, on the wire whip or whisk or even on the dishtowel that you’ve used to wiped your mixing bowl, both you and your whites will weep.

Suvir Saran is a gifted chef, cookbook author and teacher, and several years ago, I had some great fun with him, socializing, traveling and eating. If you’re the tiniest bit interested about Indian cooking, buy his books. Even if you’re not interested in Indian cooking, buy this one, Masala Farm, which is a “farm to table” mélange of recipes that he and his partner, Charlie and collaborator, Raquel, published in 2011. Nominated for a James Beard Award, this gorgeous book is one you should consider owning. It’s Kindle-ready too!

These are fantastic, beautiful; and be advised, they're addictive. In a clear cellophane bag, tied with a ribbon or bakery twine, these make a great homemade gift!

Here are a couple of today’s, ready for their close-ups:

More recipes soon: 

Marshmallows! 

Updated graham crackers made with teff flour!

(just add a chocolate bar and what's that spell?) 

care, live well, work for peace (and gun control) and cook,

jane

Ingredients:

4 egg whites, size large, at room temperature (they whip up better at room temperature)

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

1 ½ c./300 g granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. crushed candy canes (8-9 minis)

8 oz./225 g semisweet mini chocolate chips (Ghirardelli or better, please)

            or fine quality chocolate, finely chopped

1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use Baldwins)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 240º F/120º C

Line three baking sheets with parchment. (If you don’t have three sheets, you must let the sheet cool before you use it again. If it's not your summer now, try putting it outside, or use it to prop open the window for five minutes.)

Using a Kitchen Aid or electric mixer fitted with the wire whip, or a hand mixer, beat the whites until foamy.

Add salt and cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.

While the mixer is running, add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. (Be patient and be careful. Today, the spoon hit the whisk and my reaction including some words I'm not printing.) You can crank it up to medium/high and beat the meringue until stiff, glossy peaks are formed.

Remove the bowl and fold in the remaining ingredients (crushed candy canes, chocolate and vanilla) using a rubber spatula.

Form dollops of meringue using a tablespoon or a small scoop (I used a small scoop and when it stopped releasing, I rinsed it with cold water.) Here, uniformity is cool.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, transferring sheets half way through the bake top to bottom, front to back. When the meringues are slightly cracked on the top, they’re ready to be fully cooled on wire racks.

These can be stored in airtight containers for about a week; and I've had success freezing them!

Yield: with the small cookie scoop, about 7 dozen. With a tablespoon, about 5 dozen.