Rosewater Raspberry Meringues

When I think of bridal showers, I tend to envision pink and gauzy and dreamy.   These visions are probably more of an ideal than a reality.  Well, my reality.  There may be plenty of brides out there who get to have those kinds of showers.  I, myself, have never been to one though.  I think I've only ever been to one or two bridal showers in my lifetime.  And nobody threw me a bridal shower, so...

I'm not complaining.  Just explaining why my visions of dreamy bridal showers include flutes of bubbly pink champagne, or pretty-in-pink cocktails, or fun little pink meringue kisses like the ones I made today.

Now, it's pretty ironic, actually... the way I envision a bridal shower.  Because if I had my way (and a bridal shower), I would probably choose a bolder color palate.  Sunflower yellow.  Tangerine Orange.  Maybe even Eggplant Purple.  And why is it that my mind conjures up variations on one color, anyway?

I could plan one heck of a beautiful shower, that much I know.  But seeing as how pretty much everybody I know is already married, there probably isn't one in my near future.  That's what kids are for, aye?  By the time any of them are ready to get married, I'll have a whole fat binder full of potential themes and ideas!  Lucky them.

So yes, these little puffs of sweet air are a brilliant bridal shower addition.  But you know what?  They're also great on a Friday.  Any Friday.  Around our house, they go by a few names, and I quote: Baked Cotton Candy, Squishy Cookies, Fluffy Thingies.

Next time, I'm trying finely ground freeze-dried mango (sans rosewater), or maybe blueberries, or perhaps pineapple...

Raspberry Rosewater Meringues

Light and airy meringue kisses infused with the flavors of rosewater and raspberry.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert eggs Mothers Day Easter Valentines Day candy spring summer

Ingredients (~5 dozen)

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbs. finely ground freeze-dried raspberries
• 1/2 tsp. rosewater
• 1/4 tsp. white vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place on oven rack in the middle of your oven, and one in the upper third of your oven.

Whip the egg whites together with the salt in a super-clean bowl on high speed until soft peaks are formed. Gradually add in the sugar and raspberry powder, and continue to whip until you have stiff, shiny peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rose water and vinegar.

Transfer to a piping bag (or gallon-sized baggie with the corner snipped off) fitted with a star tip (~1/2-inch wide). Pipe 1-inch wide meringues onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch or so of space between each one.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, at this point the meringues should look dry and set. Turn off the heat, and allow them to cool completely in the oven.

Gently lift the meringues off of the parchment and store in an airtight container.

notes:

If you spray your baking sheets with cooking spray before you set the parchment on it, it will keep the parchment from sliding around. I don't usually do it, but that's just because I don't want to have to wash the pan.

The recipe that I adapted this one from used raspberry gelatin powder (instead of the ground, freeze-dried raspberries). If you can't get your hands on freeze-dried raspberries, then you could go that route...depends on your thoughts on the red dye in the gelatin.

-adapted from latin d'lite by Ingrid Hoffmann