French Meringues with Coffee :D

Looking through Pinterest today and I saw a Meringue recipe. 

I knew I HAD to make these. Especially at 25 Calories each :D

My maw-maw Hollander LOVED Meringue (especially on pies) and I remember her teaching me how to make Meringue when I was young - what happy memories. 

Ingredients needed: 

4 Egg Whites

1 3/4 Cu. Powdered Sugar (I used less sugar for less calories than most recipes called for)

1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 .07 oz Instant Coffee (you know you have 1 or 10 from mail freebies) 

For decor you can add red food coloring

Items Needed:

Mixer

2 Large Pans for baking

Parchment Paper

Pastry Bag (or Ziploc bag with one bottom corner trimmed off)

Directions:

Separate the 4 eggs  (how to below) 

(http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnnzhv_how-to-separate-eggs_lifestyle) - Ok, I just like his accent ;) 

Oh yeah FYI egg yolks freeze well and can be used in several ways :D

Let the separated eggs sit just so they aren't cold but not quite room temperature. 

After the eggs have sat (aprox . 45 min) Place them into your mixing bowl and commence mixing several recipes say mix on medium...but I am not that patient to mix them for 10 min.  So I mixed them at SUPER DUPER FAST and it only took 5 so that the egg whites began to peak.

In the mean time preheat your oven to 200 and place parchment paper on your pan.

Slowly add your vanilla then your sugar then your coffee.  Mix for 3 more min.

Pull out the whisk and make sure that your eggs still peak  (if they do not, continue to mix).  If they do go ahead and place mixture into your Pastry Bag

Pipe onto the parchment paper (for the holidays you can even pipe as hearts :D).  I personally like them to have a peak to stand up at the top...call it my CDO.  

Bake for 2 hours...yes, you heard me.....2 hours.  I even read where you can leave your oven open with a two inch gap.  I did this by placing one of my wooden spoons at the close of the oven.

At 8 min left I pulled mine out (because I have an old cranky oven) and touched them..they were hard...yippee.  I sat them on top of my oven and let them cool (otherwise they may not stay together and will stick to the parchment - lesson learned).   

Then place the first one in your mouth and let it melt....yummm delicious-ioso