Peanut Butter Clouds
A gem from Alice Medrich, these peanut butter meringues are salty-sweet and light as a cloud.
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature (see note)
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter, well stirred
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped salted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven.
- In the bowl of a heavy duty mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a bowl if using a hand mixer with beaters), combine the egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat at medium-high speed (or high speed if using a hand mixer) until the egg whites are creamy white and hold soft peaks when the beaters are lifted out of the bowl. Continue to beat on medium-high speed, adding sugar a little at a time, taking about 2 minutes in all, until the whites are glossy and stiff. When you lift the whisk out the bowl, the whites should hold stiff peaks.
- Scatter small spoonfuls of the peanut butter over the meringue. With a large rubber spatula, fold the peanut butter into meringue until streaky; you don't want it to be perfectly blended.
- Using two soup spoons, drop heaping tablespoons of meringue about 1-½ inches apart onto the lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle each meringue with a bit of chopped peanuts. Bake for 1-½ hours, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Turn off the heat and let the meringues cool completely in oven.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container as soon as they are cool. They will keep for a about 2 weeks.
- Note: You will get the most volume from room temperature egg whites. To quickly bring cold eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (30 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 41
- Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Sugar: 5g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 12mg
- Cholesterol: 2mg
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.