Cuban Meringues

One of the most beloved cookies in my family is meringue. I make them almost every year for Christmas Eve, and they are usually almost all eaten before dessert time even arrives! Everyone in my family just loves the cotton candy sweetness of the delicate outer shell of the cookies and their marshmallow-like centers. Meringues also go hand-in-hand with another favorite Cuban dessert among my family called capuchinos, which require egg yolks. Since the meringue recipe only uses egg whites, making both allows for none of the eggs to go to waste. This Cuban Meringue recipe requires very few ingredients and is relatively simple. There are a few technical points to making a perfect meringue such as achieving soft and stiff peaks, so use the video recipe demonstration as a guide, give the recipe a try, and remember to have fun!  
 

Cuban Meringues Recipe 

(Makes 60 medium sized cookies)

INGREDIENTS:

• 7 egg whites
• ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups of sugar

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A standard or handheld mixer
• A large mixing bowl
• A spatula
• Two baking trays
• A pastry bag or two tablespoons

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolk (Note: Use the egg yolks for trying my capuchino recipe, found here). Make sure no egg yolk gets in the egg whites, or it will prevent the egg whites from reaching soft and stiff peaks later on.
2. Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-high to high speed with a standard or kitchen aid mixer until soft peaks form (the egg whites should increase in volume, look foamy, and have a curled/rippled appearance; see the video demonstration for a visual). 
3. Now, add the cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and 4 tablespoons of sugar, and turn the mixer on high speed. Then leave the mixer on and start to gradually add in the sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Let mix for 10 seconds before each new addition of sugar. Continue to add sugar and mix until stiff peaks form and the mixture looks shiny and glossy. To check if the mixture is stiff enough, take the beater from the mixer and flip it upside down. If the meringue mix stays straight up, then it is ready (reached stiff peaks). 
4. Put the meringue mix in a pastry bag. If you don’t have a pastry bag, then leave the meringue mix in the bowl and use 2 spoons. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Then begin piping (or spooning) the meringue mix on the trays. I made medium sized meringues about 2 inches across (in diameter) and placed them 1 ½ inches apart because they will expand when baking. Note: To pipe out the meringue mix be sure to apply equal pressure and count how many seconds it takes to get the meringues the size you want. Along with a visual inspection, the counting method will help you maintain consistency in the size of the meringues.
5. Place the meringues in a 300°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Then turn off the oven, and leave the cookies in the oven with the door closed for 20 minutes to let them dry. The meringues should end up a rose pink/ivory color if using regular vanilla extract. If you want them to be whiter, then use clear vanilla extract. Next, carefully remove the meringues from the parchment paper and set on a large plate to serve or place them in a large container to save for later. Note: These cookies are very delicate so be very careful when handling them or staking them up to serve or put in a container as they can crack and break apart. I suggest grabbing them by the bottom rim of the meringue as the bottom is the sturdiest part of the cookies. 

Note: You can make the meringues any size you want but adjust the cooking times. For large meringues (3 to 4 inches in diameter) cook in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes and let dry in the oven for 30 minutes. For small meringues, an inch in size, let them cook for 20 minutes and let dry for 20 minutes or less.

Turkey Hand Pies

The best part about Thanksgiving is it gives us the opportunity to come together with our family and/or friends and enjoy great food with great company. Making Thanksgiving dinner also produces a lot of leftovers. Over the years, I’ve come up with many ways to use the leftovers. My favorite has to be making turkey hand pies because they can be premade and frozen. This gives the opportunity to eat the pies at a later time, so you don’t have to eat turkey day after day after day….you get my point. That can get boring. The hand pies can be frozen for a month or 2 and are very easy to cook in the oven. The fact that they can just be put on a tray and placed in the oven to cook makes them very convenient.  So give this recipe a try, have fun, and enjoy!    

Turkey Hand Pies Recipe 

(Makes 6 large hand pies)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 batch of pie dough (See Recipe HERE)
• 10 oz of turkey (other meat or vegetarian/vegan alternative)
• 2 1/2 cups of stuffing
• 2 ½ cups of mushroom gravy (See Recipe Here)
• 1 ½ cups of mashed potato
• ½ cup of corn (or other vegetables)
• 1 egg white plus ¼ cup of water

NOTE: the ingredients are adjustable based on whatever you had leftover. Some type of gravy is important as it helps maintain the moisture of the other ingredients during the baking process.

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A cutting board
• Baking sheet(s)
• Rolling pin, spoon, fork, knife, and spatula

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS

Pie Dough Recipe Video:

Turkey Hand Pies Recipe Video:

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Take the pie dough and cut into 6 equal portions (or more if you want smaller pies). Then take each portion and roll it into a ball. Next, leave one portion out to work with and cover the remaining dough portions with plastic wrap so they aren’t exposed to the air or they will dry out.
2. Now on a lightly floured surface, take one of the dough portions, press it down to flatten it, and use the rolling pin to roll out the dough to 7 ½ inches across and ¹/₈ inch thick. Use your fingers and hands to round off the sides.
3. Next start filling the pie by adding 2 tablespoons of mashed potato mixed with corn and spread out evenly leaving an inch of space empty on the outer edge of the pie dough. Then add 2 tablespoons of stuffing, some mushrooms from the gravy, and a drizzle of gravy (about 1 or 2 tablespoons). Lastly, add turkey slices to the top and put 1 or 2 tablespoons of gravy on the turkey (Note: Don’t put too much gravy as it will make it difficult or impossible to seal the pies when the dough is folded over).
4. Now carefully fold over the pie dough and use a fork to press in the filling so you can keep the outer inch of the dough empty. Then use your fingers to pinch the outer edges of the dough together to seal the pie. Next, take a fork and press down on the outer edge to create the crimping pattern and to fully seal the edges of the pies. Take a knife and cut 3 slits on top of the pies to allow steam to ventilate when the pies are cooking. Then place the pie on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat the process for all of the pies.
5. When all of the pies are set up, you can either cover them with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a later time, or you can cook them. To cook the pies, place them in a 375°F oven for 40 to 45 minute. After 20 minutes of cooking, take the pies out of the oven and brush them with an egg wash consisting of one egg white and a ¼ cup of water. Then place the pies back in the oven for another 20 minutes or until golden brown.
6. When finished cooking, take the pies out of the oven and let sit for 2 or 3 minutes before serving.

Multipurpose Pie Dough

Pie dough is relatively simple to make and requires very few ingredients. It is also incredibly versatile, as it can be used to make a plethora of sweet and savory pies as well as other desserts. This recipe creates flaky and crispy pie crusts, so give it a try!

Pie Dough Recipe 

(Makes two 9 " Pie Shells or six 7 " pie circles)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2¾ cups of all purpose flour
• 9 tablespoons salted butter, cold
• ¼  cup solid vegetable shortening, cold
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of ice water, plus more if needed

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A large bowl
• Plastic wrap
• A cutting board, spatula, fork, and whisk
• Food processor (optional)

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt, and whisk to mix together.
2. Cut the butter into 1/3 of an inch cubes and start adding the butter to the flour. Be sure to evenly distribute the butter and use a spatula to move some of the flour over the butter cubes to fully coat them in the flour, so all of the butter does not clump together. Next, add in the shortening, small pieces at a time (about ¼ of a teaspoon). Use the same method used for the butter, evenly distribute and coat the pieces of shortening with flour.  
3. Now with your hands, “rub” the butter and shortening pieces into the flour between your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with tiny chunks of butter and shortening throughout the dough.
4. Next add in the ice cold water to the mixture, 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time and use a spatula or fork to mix. The dough should slowly come together. Keep adding water until all of the mixture comes together and can be formed into a ball. Then take the dough ball, fully cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before use.

   Note: The pie dough can be stored for up to 10 days in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the       

   freezer. Also, you can use a food processor to mix the dough instead of using your hands if you 

   wish.