Meringue issues! Help!

[JuliaEeyore]

Hi all!

For years, I used to make these mint chocolate chip meringue cookies at Christmastime. They were light and airy and cripsy - some people call them meltaways because they literally crumble and melt in your mouth. You whip up the batch, and place them in an oven, turn it off, and leave it overnight.

Well, for the past THREE YEARS, I have not been able to make them. Batch after batch, I've ruined them. I've tried different baking sheet (flat vs. air), tin foil vs. brown paper bags vs. parchment paper, metal bowls vs. ceramic, Kitchenaid stand mixer vs. hand mixer. I''ve always made sure my Cream of Tartar is BRAND new. My egg whites are always at room temp. I've done them in both electric and gas ovens... with the same results.

This is the recipe I used to use for years... have I misplaced an ingredient? Have I added or subtracted measurements?

2 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 C sugar - preferably super fine
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring
1/2 C. mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cover cookie sheet with foil or parchment
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy
Add sugar 2 Tablespoons at a time until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are glossy and stiff
Add food coloring, peppermint extract and chocolate chips
Drop by rounded tsp. on baking sheet.
Put in oven, turn oven off
Keep closed for 6 hours or over night
Store tightly sealed

The come out CHEWY and gooey now. Like they just never rise. I want to cry. THREE CHRISTMASES NOW! I'm so frustrated! Am I over beating the egg whites and cream of tartar? Underbeating it? What about over or under beating the mixture? I get lovely stiff peaks...

I hope one of you here is a meringue marvel. I would love any and ALL advice.

Julia

 

[lisa_from_nj]

Hi! I'm no marvel, but in the past I have made meringue candy canes that came out. I just checked the recipe and it says to bake them at 200ºF for one hour. Your ingredients sound right. I know your recipe worked in the past, but maybe yours just are not baked enough and that is why they are gooey.

Good luck!

Lisa

 

[piratesmate]

I'm not an expert, but I do make a cinnamon cookie that is similar. That recipe calls for baking soda, not cream of tartar.

I did a quick Google search on this & came up with a couple links that might help.

Cooks.com - http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1710,144175-232200,00.html

This one has no cream of tartar, but is otherwise pretty close. However, the oven temp is much lower! - http://southernfood.about.com/library/rec01/bl11201i.htm

This one uses larger amounts & may make half again as many cookies. It uses salt in addition. - http://www.recipelink.com/mf/31/21929

I hope you find an answer!

 

[JuliaEeyore]

Thank you both! So, the recipe appears to be right. But based on those links and your ideas, I might just be over whipping them and under baking them. Hmmmm. Interesting.

Should I give it ONE more go?!

Thanks again!

Julia