These meringue kisses with Dulce de Leche are one of the cookies that never failed to be at the Christmas table in my grandmother's house. Cookies have always been my favorite part of Christmas, even more than presents. Seeing the table all filled with cookies was a magical and yummy thing to experience growing up.
My family was big on cookies, and each family member would have a particular ask for the cookie table. Cookie swaps are unknown in Chile, but they could be a good and different option.
I recommend using the canned Dulce de Leche to fill and paste the meringue kisses because it is firmer and doesn't melt if the room gets warm. Do it just before serving because the meringue will get a little soft. I don't mind.
A table of traditional cookies is expected at many celebrations in Chile: birthdays, baptisms, weddings, and more. The dessert table is more of a recent trend. The cookies have been around forever.
How do you separate yolks and whites?
Eggs are easier to separate when cold, so you can put them in the fridge for a couple of hours and then separate them. I recommend cracking the egg on the flat counter, not the counter's edge or bowl. The rest is practice.
What are the different types of meringue, and when should they be used? How to make meringue?
French: the most common and straightforward. Beat the egg whites until foamy, add the sugar gradually, and beat everything until the meringue is white and silky. It is less stable, but the one with more air—is ideal for souffle.
Italian: it is the most stable. It is made by adding hot sugar syrup to the egg whites while beating.
Swiss: It is made by heating the egg whites and sugar and whisking until cool. Here, you can see the method in detail—it is the best for decorating pies.
What is the standard egg size in pastry?
Recipes in the US are written for large eggs, which weigh about 65 grams in the shell.
Without the shell, 50 grams: 35 grams the egg white, 15 grams the yolk.
This recipe was originally published in December 2012.
You may also like the recipe: Dulce de Leche Mousse.
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Meringue kisses with Dulce de Leche
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Yield: 30
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven-baked
- Cuisine: Chilean
Description
A delicious and traditional Chilean cookie.
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites (room temperature)
- ½ cup fine granulated sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1 cup dulce de leche La Lechera
Instructions
- Before you make the meringue, cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Preheat oven to 200F or 100 C.
- Put the egg whites in a large bowl with the salt and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar slowly while beating continuously at medium speed, then continue beating on high speed for about 8-10 minutes until it looks silky. Rub between your fingers. You shouldn’t feel any grain of sugar.
- Put the meringue in a Ziploc bag or pastry bag with a round tip or a star tip. I used Ateco # 846.
- Bake for 1 ½ hour. The meringues should feel dry to the touch but not brown. Allow cooling in the oven. Once cooled, peel from the paper and store for up to 2-3 days. The meringue is fragile, do it gently. If you live in a humid climate, freeze.
- Fill with dulce de leche right before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 47
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 96.1 mg
- Fat: 0.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 2.9 mg
Fran says
Los hare y les cuento como me fue
Pilar Hernandez says
Suerte.
Elena says
This is Chilean.
Anonymous says
This is from Argentina
Carol says
Can I allow them to cool off outside of the oven? I only have one baking pan
Pilar Hernandez says
Not really, the keep on baking on the cooling oven.
Anonymous says
How in advance can they be made?
Thank you
Maria
Pilar Hernandez says
Depends, if you live in a dry weather place 10 days and just keep on an airtight container. In humid weather, this recipe doesn't always work and it's almost impossible to storage.