and speaking of snowmen.....

Around this time last year I hosted my Bunco group. I needed to come up with a fabulous dessert, so I decided on cupcakes - but not your ordinary cupcake.


I made regular old vanilla cupcakes (from a mix) and frosted them with store bought icing - then dipped them in coconut "snow".

Pretty boring.


I have a thing for snowmen, as you've probably noticed. I love meringues too - who doesn't? (oh yeah, my daughter doesn't)

Meringues kind of look like mounds of snow, don't you think? If I made three different sizes and piled them on top of each other(using a dab of frosting as cement), they might look like a snowman.

Using pretzel sticks for arms, a dot of melted chocolate for eyes, and an orange Tic-Tac for a nose...

I plopped this little snow dude on top of one of those cupcakes - success!!!

My dessert was a hit - and made the ladies smile....

It made for a pretty cute centerpiece too!

Here's my recipe for the meringues:

Meringue Cookies Recipe:

3 large egg whites (3 ounces or 90 grams)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup (150 grams) superfine or caster sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30 seconds in a food processor)

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven
to 200 degrees F and place the rack in the center of your oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can form the mounds with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip, or I often just use two spoons to make the cookies.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.

Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet
, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) tip. Create 3 sizes of mounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, spoon the mounds of meringue, using two spoons, onto the prepared sheets.

Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp.

Note: it is much easier to pierce the meringue when it is fresh out of the oven and warm - it tends to crack after it has cooled. Use a toothpick to create each hole for arms and nose.
Also, finish each *section* before stacking them on top of each other.

Cupcakes are not just for kids anymore....they've come a loooooong way.


That's all from Pammy's kitchen...thanks for stopping by!

Pammy

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better or happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile
~ Mother Theresa