Valentines and Easter Bunnies

Hearts and Bunnies!


Meringue cookie recipes from my book: Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies & Bars

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

3 egg whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/4 t. salt
1 C. sugar
3 T.baking cocoa
3 T. miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 T. finely crushed walnuts, optional

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 T. at a time, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes. Beat in cocoa. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert #806 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with meringue. Pipe 1-1/2" hearts 2" apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. (If using spray grease smear it evenly with a piece of waxed paper.) Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Meringue Bunnies

2 egg whites
1/8 t. cream of tartar
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. pink candy coating disks (Can be purchased in bags at Michaels.)
36 heart-shapped red decorating sprinkles (or cinnamon red hots)

In a mixing bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 T. at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a pastry or plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of the bag.
On parchment-lined (parchment paper found by waxed paper in stores) baking sheets, pipe the meringue into 4-3/4" bunny shapes. Bake at 225 degrees for 1-1/2 hours or until firm. Remove to wire racks. In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Place in a pastry or plastic bag. Pipe ears, whiskers and mouths on bunnies. Attach hearts for eyes and nose with melted candy coating.

NOTE: My neighbor makes a yummy popcorn with the candy melts. She just tosses the popcorn with the melted candies and continues to stir as the mixture cools. The result is popcorn in a very pretty pastel shade of your choosing that is not sticky to handle (unless you try to "save" some in your sweaty little palm)and does not pull at tooth fillings! She told me that one package from Michaels will cover two bags of popcorn. I don't know where she buys her bags of popcorn but I am guessing you should pop a couple of large bowls full to melt and use the entire bag of melts (disks).