MMM: Peppermint Meringue Snowballs

Sunshine - ever so happy
to make meringues

One of the first recipes Sunshine picked out from "No Whine with Dinner" by the Meal Makeover Moms was Peppermint Meringue Snowballs. Meringues? Meringues? OK, really, could we not pick an easy recipe? 


It's not that the recipe was difficult. It all looked so deceptively simple. Whip together some eggs and sugar, add some peppermint sprinkles and whola! Beautiful cookies, delicious to the taste, melting in your mouth. 


Yah well, remember, I've never claimed to be Martha Stewart and I don't have her knowledge nor her culinary tools. While some people have mixers which cost $200-300, I have 2-3 hand mixers. And nothing more. Just a hint of what you will see....a hand mixer does not quite hold muster when making meringues. 

Stiff peaks were not to be had with our hand mixer.

The recipe called for us to whip the eggs into stiff peaks. Do you know how long that takes with a hand mixer? No, not me either. Sunshine & I took turns with the hand mixer whipping the eggs for 25 minutes, but stiff peaks? Not happening. Instead, we had to be satisfied with a thickening of the liquid. After wearing out our arms and the hand mixer, we decided the eggs were just not going to stiffen and decided to move on with the recipe. 


I've always thought that most meals taste better when somebody else does the cooking. I think Sunshine would have preferred to have me finish the meringues, but why should I let her miss out on all of the fun? Can't you see the enjoyment on her face as she scooped the meringue mix onto the cookie sheet? 


Oh no, really she did enjoy it. That's not a grimace. She's just 12 and doesn't know how to smile at the camera without looking goofy!


Remember how I said our eggs did not stiffen? Yah, well that explains why our cookies looked like pancakes. Meringues are supposed to be light, airy and tasty. Ours were tasty....but not exactly light and airy. 


The recipe was definitely easy and the results were quite tasty; however, I would definitely make sure to borrow Martha's $300 blender before trying to make meringues again.