Coconut Meringues

Coconut Meringues

Today is the International Women’s Day celebrated in some parts of the world. This recipe is for you, all the beautiful readers of AZ Cookbook. Celebrate and treat yourselves to these  light as feather coconut meringues.

Coconut Meringues
Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2007

Note: While toasting the coconut enhances its flavor, you can omit this step if you wish too—the meringues will taste great with regular sweetened coconut flakes.

Makes 31 meringues

Ingredients

1/2  cup  flaked sweetened coconut
3  large egg whites
dash of salt
1/2  cup  sugar
1/4  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1/8  teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
1  tablespoon  unsweetened cocoa

Directions

If you are going to toast coconut flakes, follow these steps. Heat the oven to 350ºF. Sprinkle coconut flakes in one layer onto an ungreased baking sheet. Toast on the middle rack of the oven for 5 minutes, watching closely and taking care not to overtoast. The coconut should turn light brown. You may want to stir the flakes a few times with a spatula so that the coconut does not burn and toast evenly. Remove from the oven. Transfer onto a plate and allow to cool.

Coconut Meringues

Meanwhile, bring the oven temperature down to 250°F.

Combine the egg whites and salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form.

Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Add extracts and beat just until blended. Do not overbeat. Gently fold in coconut.

Drop by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto 2 baking sheets covered with parchment paper.

Bake at 250° for 1 hour until very lightly browned and almost crisp, switching baking sheets and rotating front to back halfway through baking time. Remove from oven. Cool for 25 minutes (meringues will crisp as they cool). Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon cocoa.

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