Merenguitos

MERENGUE COOKIES

When I was little, my dad used to take me to the local Cuban bakery in Hialeah on Saturday mornings to buy Cuban bread and pastries, and he always let me pick a treat for myself. I always got a big merenguito. This merenguitos recipe might be the best one I’ve ever had. They take a long time to bake, but it’s worth every second. Whenever I make them for my kids, they quickly disappear.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs whites, room temp

• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup water

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, add sugar then water on top. Use a spatula to carefully wet the sugar and make sure not to get any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan. Set your thermometer to 238 degrees F and turn on to medium heat. Do not touch or stir.

2. While the sugar mixture is heating up, add egg whites to a mixer with a whisk attachment. Mix until they get frothy. Add cream of tartar and continue to mix on medium high until the egg whites have soft peaks.

   
   

3. When the syrup reaches 238 degrees F, turn on the mixer to medium speed. Carefully pour the syrup in a slow stream alongside of the bowl, carefully, without letting the syrup touch the whisk.

   
   

4. When done, beat the merengue on medium high for 8 to 10 minutes until it’s cooled completely. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract before it’s done mixing.

   
   

5. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Set up two sheet pans lined with parchment paper or silpat. Take a large star tip with a pastry bag and fill it with merengue. Pipe 2-inch merenguitos, each an inch apart. Bake for 3 hours at 200 degrees F. When done, remove pans from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Store in a Ziploc bag in a dark, cool, place.