Diana's Desserts - www.dianasdesserts.com
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/guests/recipeID/2079/Recipe.cfm

Peanut Meringue Kisses

Servings: 20 cookies
Ingredients:
Meringue Stars:
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp. unsalted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Filling:
3 Tbsp. milk
1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp. butter
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup peanut butter


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (93 C). Grease two large cookie sheets; dust with flour. Fit a pastry bag with a large star tube.

Using electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until they are frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until stiff. Add sugar slowly, 2 Tbsp. per minute. Continue beating at high speed until mixture is very stiff.

Fill pastry bag with meringue. Pipe out forty 3/4-inch stars onto the prepared cookie sheets. Lightly press chopped peanuts on outside of the meringue stars. Leave stars in oven for two hours. Turn off oven; leave stars in oven to dry about five hours or overnight if possible.

Prepare filling when meringue stars are dry. Place milk, chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler. Heat over hot (not boiling) water until chocolate and butter are melted. Beat in confectioners' sugar, peanut butter and vanilla. Remove from heat. To assemble cookies, spread filling on the bottom of one meringue star; press another star over filling (bottom sides facing each other). Do not make on a humid day.

Makes about 20 cookies.


Submitted By: Joanne Teo
Date: March 17, 2004