Christmas is just around the corner and one thing I love to do at this time of year is bake. There is something about the smell of fresh baked goods that makes a house seem more homey. Since there are only two of us in our house I tend to make cute little gift packages and give away the majority of the things that come out of my oven, otherwise I would have one unhealthy husband! Cookies work particularly well for gift packages because they travel well and there are so many varieties. I love to mix and match colors, textures and flavors that way each package is sure to contain cookies even the pickiest eater will enjoy. I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try and I am so pleased that Jessica at
The Mom Creative is hosting a cookie recipe exchange. There are a lot of fantastic recipes being exchanged, some of which I have never seen before so if you still need to do some Christmas baking you should definitely check it out!
Chocolate-Almond Meringues
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup caster sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 250 degrees
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy
Add sugar and almond extract and beat (for about 3 minutes) until meringues form soft peaks
Gently fold chocolate into meringues
Use a pastry bag to pipe meringues onto parchment paper covered baking sheet, each should be about a tablespoon
Bake for 40 minutes
Remove from oven and cool completely before removing parchment paper (this is very important)
Store in an airtight container
