Meringue Cookies With Chocolate Ganache and Fresh Strawberries

Sitting here, sometimes  pinteresting my life away, I often come across things of great beauty. Though these days, it dominoes over to those series of rather unfortunate events, where multiple loads of clothes are ready-ho, and I am not, and scenarios of pretzels and goldfish make do for wholesome(?)after school snacking. Even the hint of dinner is so woefully delayed, because of my combined series of pinterest/chair yoga. Enquiries (more like distraught cries), abound,"what happened?". "Well, I wasted spent my six hours pinning (things that other people are good at), recipes and ideas that I will try here, promise." Smile and pat you go ( Yes, I do feel guilty, more often than not.)

Ahh, but there is that bright side, where moderate ( I stress the word) doses of (pin)spiration can be beneficial. Especially when those visions carry through to this outcome. Probably not as jawdropping as a towering cake building, nonetheless as distinctively delicious. With fruit and chocolate in its framework these lovelies are a successful answer, one of my most appealing"dessert-leads-dinner"declarations (commonplace in my house).

Two meringues wedging in fantastically smooth chocolate, dabbed with the volatile vibrance of fresh strawberries. Sound good? They are and I must go through the rank significance of just about every aspect of these dessert sandwiches.

Of course, will- mention is the crispness of bite, a beat-to-baked-to-done-right meringue, so worthy of its own one man show. Which not stopping there takes us to the dollop and slather of chocolated cream, a glossy ganache bridge between cookies and the new level of crazy good. It is here we reach pinnacle, fresh bursts of cut berries, bringing the sandwich meringue process to its insanely glorious end.

Ingredient count, you ask? As easy as counting the fingers on one hand are those elements required for meringue- making. The two and half hour work done by your kitchen oven, could be definitely taken to advantage. Like if you needed to review those TiVo recordings, while painting your nails.

As far as I'm concerned this may be one of the best go-to desserts for the year. Master recipe creates 16 cookies, or 8 sandwiches. Enough to make peace/comply with the dessert before dinner manifesto. All with no complaints.

Ingredients:

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¾ cup  superfine sugar (I grind regular white in the food processor)
• pinch salt
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract 

Experimenting with Instagram on my phone while charging the battery to my Canon.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 200° F.
• Using a whisk attachment to your stand mixer, beat egg whites until foamy on medium speed. 
• Spoon in cream of tartar.
• Slowly drop in tablespoonfuls of the sugar. Beat on medium high after each addition and continue to beat until glossy form.  
• Beat in salt and vanilla.
• Continue to beat until firm, sturdy peaks form. They should retain shape, glossy smooth, with no grit of sugar left behind.
• Pipe or spoon 2 inch forms onto parchment lined sheets. (for the rosettes I used Wilton tip 2D and technique for the frosting on these orange cupcakes.)
• Bake for approximately 2 ½ hours, rotating the baking tray from front to back, until completely done and insides are no longer sticky.
• Turn heat off and let meringues cool in the oven. Take out once cool.

I colored my meringues by stripe-painting the insides of my pastry bag with gel food color.

Filling~
Chocolate Ganache
4-6 fresh strawberries, chopped small

Ganache~

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c heavy cream
• 6 oz semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions:

• In a microwave safe bowl, heat cream full power, 1 minute.
• Take out. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and whisk mixture smooth.
• Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes ( I don't like it too thick).
• Mix in strawberries into chocolate mixture.

Assemble your sandwich:

• Spread onto one meringue cookie.
• Top with a second cookie.

Notes~ I have baked meringues at 250°F for one hour too. But the texture seems somewhat better with the lower 200°F at longer bake time.

Alternatively you could top the strawberries onto the chocolate, to create two layers and then sandwich.

Similar recipes? Try the Macarons with double chocolate ganache filling . Maybe even this giant meringue cake.

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"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." Colossians 2:9-10