Bacon-Wrapped Mushroom Poppers

So. I've got an hour and a half of free time. Well, not really free time. I could be doing something school-related, but I feel like blogging instead. Remember my loaded portobello mushrooms? I do. I loved them, especially because they gave me tons of new ideas. This mushroom-craze I've been having is seriously weird, though, because I always hated mushrooms growing up. I'm still trying to wrap my head around my new fascination.

Anyway, I bring you mushroom poppers. Why mushroom poppers instead of jalapeño poppers? Well, simply because I wanted my poppers to be reliable. I love the idea of jalapeño poppers. I love peppers, cheese, and bacon. I've made poppers plenty of times, including making batches for family. However, I have found jalapeños to be far too unpredictable for me. I'm not used to a lot of hotness, so if I get a batch that turns out to be particularly spicy... well, consider me a baby when that happens. With mushroom poppers, not only can I still have them spicy, I can control how spicy they are!
 

Funny story, though...

I actually didn't make these for myself. That's right, I wanted to make something delicious for other people. Actually, for my dad. He and the rest of our immediate family came over to my house for dinner to celebrate his 60th 59th (hehe...) birthday. There was so much food! Hamburgers, hot dogs, salad, traditional deviled eggs as well as avocado-bacon deviled eggs (made by yours truly), black forest cake (my mum made it for the first time!), and new-york style low-carb cheesecake (also made by yours truly). 

Uh, but I also made these bad boys. They were the first thing I made, and I was super excited to share them because my dad and brother really enjoy mushrooms. I tossed them in the oven (not to bake, just so they didn't take up space) and, well. Yeah. I completely forgot about them. It wasn't until I got ready for bed and thought "Did I turn the oven off?" when I realised... I hadn't used the damn oven! My mushroom poppers, nooooo! I'm not used to having more than two extras over for dinner, so any time family is over to eat I get a little stressed. Oops!

Ingredients

• 12 small-medium white button mushrooms 
• 12 slices of bacon 
• 6 tbsp (1/4 c + 2 tbsp) cream cheese, flavoured if desired (softened, or use spreadable)
• ~200g cheddar cheese (~15g per mushroom)
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank's Redhot)
• 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tbsp plus the Franks creates a medium spice level)

If you want to make more or less than one batch, match the ingredients to the number of mushrooms you have. That is, 1 mushroom + 1 slice of bacon + 1/2 tbsp of cream cheese + 15g of cheddar cheese. Adjust the spice level to your preferences! 

Nutritional information, per serving (1): 179 cals, 2g net carbs (2g carbs, 0g fiber), 16g fat, 8g protein

Nutritional information, whole batch: 2152 cals, 18g net carbs (21g carbs, 3g fiber), 190g fat, 90g protein

Ingredients	Calories	Net Carbs (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)
~200g white mushroom	44	5	7	2	1	6
12 slices of bacon	1140	6	6	0	108	36
1/2 cup cream cheese	240	6	6	0	21	6
~180g medium cheddar	720	0	0	0	60	42
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes	8	1	2	1	0	0

Directions

If you're like me and enjoy a firmer piece of bacon, cook it ahead of baking. I put my bacon on the stove while I prepped the other ingredients, cooked it to the point where I would eat it, and I could still move it without breaking it apart, so not very crispy (see the second picture posted above). We'll be baking these bad boys later, so the bacon will finish off nicely.

Preheat your oven to 375F. 

While your bacon is cooking, rinse and dry your mushrooms. Remove stems and gently scoop out the gills. I say gently because mushrooms are delicate and we don't want to split them right in half. A couple cracks won't hurt, though. 

Rinsed, dried, stems removed.

I used a strawberry huller to scrape out the gills and a little flesh, too. (not my flesh!)  

Check your bacon for doneness, making sure you don't cook the strips to a crispy level. 

Also cut your cheddar cheese into 12 cube-like pieces (or however many you need), small enough to fit inside the mushrooms. You could also shred the cheese, but this is way easier.

These are ~15g each

In a small-medium mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes. I used a hand mixer for about 2 minutes during this step. The mix was super creamy and had no lumps of still-cold cream cheese. 

Next, we're going to fill the mushrooms. Again, the mushrooms are delicate, so I highly recommend using a piping bag. If you don't have one, put your cream cheese mix in a plastic baggie and cut the tip off. Pipe the mix into the mushrooms, about 2/3 full, leaving room for the cheese cubes.

Oops. Some of these are not 2/3...

Then top with cheese cubes.

Next, I cut each of my bacon pieces at the 2/3 mark and placed the 1/3 pieces over the mushrooms. This is totally optional; I did it because the strips were too long for a simple wrap-around. Regardless, wrap your cheese mushrooms with bacon and secure using a toothpick. Note: Don't use mint flavoured tooth picks :(

I used cupcake liners to minimize the greasy mess when baking!

Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, or freeze. If freezing and cooking later, I'd add an extra 3-5 minutes on the cooking time. 

Mmm!
xo, Jennifer

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Loaded Portobello Mushrooms

Since I moved out of my mum's house and my SO and I moved into our own place, my mum and I have gone grocery shopping every Sunday (except in special circumstances). We consider it quality mother-daughter time. We get to catch up about our previous week, gossip a little bit, and discuss food - something we both love! Last Sunday while driving around we spent a considerable amount of time figuring out what we would have for our respective dinners, since neither of us had bothered to plan anything.

After inviting myself and the SO over to my mum's for dinner, I wandered around the grocery store for a bit. As I picked up green peppers I thought to myself "what am I going to do with these? I really should have planned ahead... Oh! Stuffed peppers! I haven't had those in forever." Of course, I had invited myself to my mum's so I suggested stuffed peppers. She agreed. Then I saw portobello mushroom caps! Remembering pictures of recipes I've never tried, I asked my mum if she would make some so I would know if I liked them. Neither my mother or I particularly enjoy mushrooms, however, so at least if I didn't like them, both my step-father and my brother do. However, given that neither of us typically cook with mushrooms, we had no idea what to do with them. All I could think was cheese and bacon, because when is cheese and bacon not a good idea? That's how I got the idea of loaded portobello mushrooms (like loaded baked potatoes... without the potatoes!).

I KNOW. What a glorious idea. Put the cheese and bacon in the mushroom. Delicious. So, of course, after tasting the delicious creation at my mum's place I had to make it myself at home. Fortunately for me, this is one meal the SO refuses to try (I push him pretty far with all the veggies), so more for me!

This is a super simple, super quick, super delicious recipe. I found the mushroom to be incredibly flavourful, so with all the cheese, bacon, etc, I didn't feel it was necessary to spice this up.

Ingredients

I only cooked 2 caps this time, but I'm going to include ingredients for 4 servings.

• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 6 slices of bacon
• 120g choice cheese (I used marble), shredded
• 1/4 c green onion, chopped
• 1/2 c sour cream (I used 14%)

Nutritional information, per serving (4): 371 cals, 4g net carbs (5g carbs, 1g fiber), 35g fat, 15g protein

Nutritional information, whole batch: 1484 cals, 17g net carbs (21g carbs, 4g fiber), 138g fat, 61g protein

Ingredients	Calories	Net Carbs (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)
4 portobello caps (~50g each)	44	5	8	3	8	4
6 slices of thick cut bacon	750	3	3	0	72	24
120g marble cheese	480	0	0	0	40	28
1/4 c green onion	10	1	2	1	0	1
1/2 c 14% sour cream	200	8	8	0	18	4

If there are other ingredients you're going to put in your loaded potato portobello mushrooms, let me know!

Directions

First, preheat your oven to 400F. Make bacon bits however you normally make them. Chop green onion until you have about 1/4 cup. Shred whatever type of cheese you plan on using and measure out 120g. 

Remove the stem and gills from the mushroom caps, and even scoop out a little of the flesh if you desire. We're making room for cheese and bacon, after all. My caps ended up being about 50g each after this process.

Put about 30g of cheese in each cap. Top with bacon bits (I used about 1.5 slices per cap) and ~1 tbsp of green onion. 

Place your caps on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes or until all the cheese is deliciously gooey. Remove, top each with 2 tbsp of sour cream, and stuff them in your face!

This is the delicious meal I had at my mum's! Check out all that cheese. LOOK AT IT.
Stuff all the food!

What do you do with your mushrooms?

xo, Jennifer

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Almond PIZZA Crust and the Ultimate Low-Carb Pizza List

HELLO PIZZA LOVERS. I am excited to share this super simple pizza crust recipe with you guys. Okay? I am 100% sure that you've all already got your FAVOURITE low-carb pizza go-to (mine happens to actually be pizza bowls). But maybe you should try something new for once? Maybe? I mean, it is still pizza so it won't be that new.

Before we get started can we just stop to take a look at the keto pizza options? I mean for real. LOOK.

THE LIST

Who says this is the ultimate list? Well, I do. Obviously. I grabbed links off the first page of Google did hours of extensive research in order to find you all a plethora of keto pizza recipes to try. Ordered alphabetically, I've bolded the ones I've tried.

All Day I Dream About Food - Almond Flour Pizza Crust
Caveman Keto - Low-Carb Pita Pizza
Caveman Keto - Meatza
Caveman Keto - Pounded Chicken Pizza
Cooky's Creations - Low-Carb Pizza Crust
Eat Fat Lose Fat - Holy Grail Pizza
Eat Keto - Chicago Style Stuffed Pizza
Fat Cat Cuisine - Pizza Bowls
Fat Cat Cuisine - Almond Crust Pizza (hehe. this post!)
Healthy Keto - No Dough Low-Carb Pizza Crust
Ruled Me - Portobello Personal Pizzas
Screwed on Straight - Keto Pizza Crust
Stuff I Make My Husband - The Great Pizza Experiment
Your Lighter Side - Low-Carb Deep Dish Pan Pizza

Note: this is certainly not an exhaustive list of all the low-carb pizza recipes out there, but this should get you started on a great and tasty adventure. If your favourite isn't listed, be sure to comment with a link and I'll get it up ASAP.

bacon and meatballs. yeah.

So if there are so many other recipes, why am I putting this up? Well, for one, why not add to the incredibly delicious list of pizza options? Two, because my recipe uses three simple ingredients, and not a lot of them. I was making a whipped jell-o pie the other day and thought, why haven't I tried using this crust for pizza? It holds up so well with pie, especially after resting for a few hours. So, I tried the same crust recipe and came up with this: 

Which, really, was quite delicious. But as you can see, the crust definitely didn't turn out. With the almond pie crust, it is best to let it chill if you're not baking it, or bake it and then let it chill, and then let it plus the pie filling chill, in order for it to hold together properly. 

To use the crust almost immediately, I'd need a better binding agent. Obviously, I didn't want to weigh this baby down with too many other ingredients, so cheese was out (besides, there are so many existing cheese recipes). I decided to try one egg. Woohoo! It turned out great.

This crust is ideal for thin crust lovers, though it doesn't get as crispy as that "real" hand-tossed, thin-crust pizza. I've had success making a ~8 inch pizza, and ~10 or so inch pizza with this crust, the smaller being a little thicker than the larger of course. 

Warning: If you're not a fan of almond flour, well, sorry (not sorry).

Ingredients

• 1 c almond flour/ground almonds
• 1/4 c butter, salted (or unsalted, then add salt to taste)
• 1 large egg, whole

*Note: "Nutritional information" does not include any toppings. 
Nutritional information, per serving (#): 128 cals, 2g net carbs (3g carbs, 1g fiber), 12g fat, 3g protein

Nutritional information, whole batch: 1026 cals, 9g net carbs (20g carbs, 11g fiber), 99g fat, 26g protein

Ingredients	Calories	Net Carbs (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)
1 c almond flour	549	8	19	11	48	20
1/4 butter	407	0	0	0	46	0
1 large egg	70	1	1	0	5	6

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350F and prep a baking pan with parchment paper. You won't need to grease your pan. I used a springform base for my smaller pizza, and then just a large round cookie sheet for the larger one.

Melt 1/4 c butter (salted or unsalted). Add the butter to 1 c almond flour, a pinch or so of salt (if you used unsalted butter), and one large egg. Mix them all together with a fork until you get a disgusting looking mess in a bowl. Your batter should be awfully sticky/gooey, etc.

Drop all your batter on your pan lined with parchment paper and spread it out. Because it is so sticky, you can dampen your hands so the batter doesn't stick to you as much. Just don't add cups of water to the batter. 

Once you've got your batter spread to a desirable size, pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the crust has dried and the edges are browning. 

Add your desired toppings. 

1/4 c pizza sauce, 6 slices of bacon (chopped), 30g goat cheese, 1/2 c pizza mozzarella, 1/4c nacho cheese, 1 tbsp hot sauce

Bake your pizza on 350F for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Slice your pizza in 8-12 slices or whatever you want. Put it in your mouth and enjoy it.

Don't forget to let me know what your favourite low-carb pizza is, crust or no crust!
xo, Jennifer

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes, keto-ized

Often I wonder "why do I love cooking so much, and when did that start?" and then I think, maybe the eating part?

When I lived at home I rarely cooked (mum always made the best food. duh). Now that I don't live at home, I cook every day. I love that it makes me feel busy, and like I'm learning something. I play the Sims and when I'm in the kitchen (my for real kitchen) I imagine myself with a little skill bubble slowly filling up every 10 minutes. So, definitely not just the eating part. But that is pretty nice, too.

Fortunately, I didn't start out by lighting my oven and myself on fire every other time I used it. But learning the ropes in my own kitchen is what got me to stick to keto the first time, and what's keeping me going this time. I love experimenting, and I love making food that makes me feel full, but not like an absolute pile of steaming shit that wants to lay around on the floor all day and stink up the place. Errr... Carbs and I have a complicated relationship.

ANYWHOODLES. Someone, somewhere, mentioned pumpkin pie cupcakes to me. Can you believe that? Pumpkin pie cupcakes. At first I thought, that is a dessert that is trying to be a lot of things. Then I thought, that dessert is trying to be a lot of delicious things. Delicious things that belong in my mouth, and your mouth, and everyone else's mouth. Unfortunately, it is not a keto-friendly recipe. WELL. That got me excited! I love making carby recipes keto-friendly! No, I didn't bother checking if someone had already done it. I wanted to try my hand at it and see how much I've learned.

I actually have two recipes for you in this post. TWO. When I read the Irresistible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes recipe I had many ideas of what to use for substitution. Of course, in place of flours my go to has always been almond flour, coconut flour, shredded coconut, or flaxmeal (usually a combination of a few). Some of the other stuff gave me a few AHA! moments. For example, evaporated milk, thick and sugary. At first I thought of that low-carb, low-cal unsweetened almond milk. But almond milk is seriously thin. So, something thicker but still milk-like. Cream? Easily. How about coconut milk? Yes! I had never baked with it before, so this was a great opportunity.

Left: Almond & Coconut Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Right: Coconut Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

My primary concern at the planning stage was whether the flavour from the coconut flour and coconut milk would over-power that delicious pumpkin pie taste. Let me tell you right now, it did not. My SO loathes coconut and he had no idea I had used it until I said so. If you try the batter (I know you all do it) before you cook it, you can taste coconut for sure. Once baked you'll really have to pay attention to pick up the flavour. 

Ingredients

Almond & Coconut Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

• 15 oz pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 3/4 c (~175ml) coconut milk, room temperature (canned, not a carton of coconut drink, and not coconut water!)
• 2 large eggs, whole
• 3/4 c granulated sweetener, or equivalent (I used Splenda)
• 1/3 c almond flour
• 1/3 c coconut flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Nutritional information, per serving (12): 83 cals, 5g net carbs (8g carbs, 3g fiber), 5g fat, 3g protein

Nutritional information, whole batch: 991 cals, 69g net carbs (99g carbs, 30g fiber), 62g fat, 36g protein

Almond & Coconut	Calories	Net Carbs (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)
15 oz pumpkin puree	177	29	41	12	0	6
3/4 c coconut milk	306	10	10	0	29	3
2 large eggs	147	1	1	0	10	13
3/4 c Splenda	0	18	18	0	0	0
1/3 c almond flour	183	2	6	4	16	7
1/3 c coconut flour	154	7	20	13	7	7
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice	12	1	2	1	0	0
1 tsp vanilla extract	12	1	1	0	0	0

Coconut Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

My huge can of pumpkin puree, and my can of coconut milk, had enough contents for two batches of cupcakes. So why not? I got to experiment a little more, too.

• 15 oz pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 3/4 c (~180ml) coconut milk, room tempurature (canned, not a carton of coconut drink, and not coconut water!)
• 2 large eggs, whole
• 1/4 c sugar-free syrup
• 1/2 c granulated sweetener, or equivalent (I used Splenda)
• 2/3 c coconut flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Nutritional information, per serving (12): 89 cals, 6g net carbs (10g carbs, 4g fiber), 5g fat, 3g protein

Nutritional information, whole batch: 1067 cals, 79g net carbs (124g carbs, 45g fiber), 55g fat, 38g protein

Coconut	Calories	Net Carbs (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)
15 oz pumpkin puree	177	29	41	12	0	6
3/4 c coconut milk	306	10	10	0	29	3
2 large eggs	147	1	1	0	10	13
1/2 c Splenda	0	12	12	0	0	0
1/4 c E.D. Smith SF Syrup	40	9	9	0	0	0
2/3 c coconut flour	373	16	48	32	16	16
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice	12	1	2	1	0	0
1 tsp vanilla extract	12	1	1	0	0	0

Damn good thing I made both batches within a day of each other. We've been eating them like crazy, but I wanted to compare the two. I'll do a break down for you.

Left: Almond & Coconut Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Right: Coconut Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes 

• Appearance: Neither of these batches came out orange* which left me mildly disappointed. Both batches deflated a small amount after cooling, the coconut ones coming out just a tad smaller than their almond counterparts. 
• Texture: Both batches are moist in general (they should be, since they're like a pie), but the almond ones came leave you feeling a little thirstier than do the coconut ones. In addition, the almond flour ones have a slightly grainy texture as it is difficult to incorporate the almond as thoroughly as you can with coconut flour. The coconut ones seem to retain their moisture better and have a smoother texture.
• Taste: Both taste like pumpkin pie, but with a little doughy texture added in. Think of these as individual pumpkin pies, not cupcakes, or you'll be entirely disappointed. As mentioned, the coconut flavour is difficult to pick up in either recipe, especially once you add whipped cream.
• Overall: The SO and I both prefer the coconut pumpkin pie cupcakes for the simple fact that they are less grainy (even though the almond ones are barely that grainy). They're also a little more moist. All in all, though, they are basically the same.

*Note: If you really, really want your cupcakes to be more orange than brown, make home-made pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkins! Store-bought stuff is more of a browny-orange.

Directions

Set your coconut milk out on the counter for half an hour to bring it to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350F. Prep a 12 cup muffin pan however you desire. I did the first batch in cupcake liners, and the second I greased the pan. I have no preference. 

Mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside: 1/2 c or 3/4 c sweetener, 1/3 calmond flour and 1/3 coconut flour (or 2/3 c coconut flour), 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix, 1/4 tsp both baking soda and powder, 1/4 tsp salt.

Now we're going to prep the wet stuff. Once your coconut milk is at room temperature, stir it thoroughly. Using a hand or stand mixer, combine your wet ingredients: 15 oz pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup coconut milk, 2 eggs, 1/4 c SF syrup (if using), 1 tsp vanilla. Once combined, add dry mix to wet and continue.

Fill your muffin pan 2/3 of the way in each cup. Top them off if you have left over batter. I used a squeeze ice cream scoop for this part, then topped the cups off and flattened them a bit.

Bake your cupcakes at 350F for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then delicately remove them and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Serve with whipped cream!

Pumpkin season, folks!
xo, Jennifer

Zen loves pumpkin!

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[CopyCat] Sugar-Free Meringues

If you've been following my blog for a long time you might remember that I posted two brownie recipes a long time ago. They were alright, chocolaty enough, but ultimately reminded me of a cake rather than a brownie. I ended up taking them down, unhappy with the results. Recently, however, my mum made some brownies which of course made me crave them and wish I had done follow-up recipes to my old brownie posts. Well... I didn't. Then Elizabeth over at Up Late Anyway posts this recipe and I knew immediately that I must try it.

One of the first things I thought while reading through that post was "SIX egg yolks?! What the crap am I going to do with the whites?". For recipes that call for egg whites I typically add the yolks to scrambled eggs, or pan fry them inside slices of avocado. I did not want egg white scrambled eggs, though. Wondering how long egg whites could last in my fridge, I fondly recalled my mum's lemon meringue pie, which she always made during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Mmm! It was helping her with those pies that taught me what the difference between a "soft peak" and a "stiff peak" is... mmm, lemon...

I digress. Meringue. What kind of pie could I make low-carb that would taste kick-ass with a meringue topping? Hmm... Not pie. Cookies? "Cookies"! Honestly I had never heard of "meringues" before this adventure, but I figured if a meringue topping could be done, surely bite-sized pieces could, too. I did some digging around because I wasn't sure how whipped egg whites would hold up with sweetener, and came across a recipe posted on All Day I Dream About Food. I learned that sweetener will not actually deflate my whipped eggs (which I feared), and also that meringues are a real dessert.

So, I bring you low-carb, gluten-free meringues a la ADIDAF. I'm going to try and include a lot of tips in this post for how to get your meringue just right, so pay attention!

These treats are so light and airy, and have a similar taste to crispy marshmallows. When I eat one, all I can think of is roasting marshmallows over a fire until the outer edge is crispy, then pulling it off and eating it, only to roast the inside again. These are a must-try, especially if you've just made Up Late Anyway's brownies! It only makes sense, clearly.

Excuse the newspaper. My kitchen was undergoing a mini make-over :)!

---

Ingredients

• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated or powdered sweetener (I used granulated Splenda )
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 - 1 oz extra dark chocolate (optional)

*Note: "Nutritional Info" does not include optional ingredients. See "Optional Filler Ingredients" below.
Nutritional information, per serving (50): 2 cals, 0g net carbs (0g carbs, 0g fiber), 0g fat, 0g protein

Nutritional information, whole batch: 111 cals, 13g net carbs (13g carbs, 0g fiber), 0g fat, 0g protein

Ingredients	Calories	Net Carbs (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)
6 egg whites	103	1	1	0	0	0
1/2 cup splenda	0	12	12	0	0	0
1/2 tsp vanilla extract	6	0	0	0	0	0
1/4 tsp cream of tartar	2	0	0	0	0	0
1/8 tsp salt	0	0	0	0	0	0

As pictured above, I drizzled some melted dark chocolate over my meringues... because why not? I also did something else with the chocolate. STAY TUNED!

Optional Ingredients	Calories	Net Carbs (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)
1 oz Lindt 85%	115	5	8	3	9	3

Tools

To properly create perfect meringue you need a particular set of tools. No exceptions. Note: all your tools must be thoroughly cleaned and dried. If they feel at all like there is any amount of grease present, wash them again. Egg whites do not like fat or other moisture.

• Metal or glass mixing bowl (NOT plastic!)
• Hand or stand mixer (not a whisk, unless you really want to work out your arm!)

Directions

First, separate your egg whites (6!) while the eggs are still cold - they separate easiest this way. Be careful with handling and do your best to not touch the egg whites while separating. If any amount of yolk ends up in the whites, be sure to remove it carefully before continuing (but not with your fingers!). Egg whites will not whip up properly if there is any fat present (including oils from your fingers, or leftover grease on a dish!).

Next, your egg whites should be at room temperature before you begin to work with them. This will allow your whites to whip faster and to a greater volume. While you wait for the egg whites to reach room temperature, preheat the oven to 250F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Yes, you definitely need two.

When the eggs have reached room temperature, we'll beat them until they form firm peaks (in between soft and stiff):

• Soft peaks: Lifting the beater from the eggs, peaks form for only a couple seconds, then fall into themselves. 
• Firm peaks: Lifting the beater from the eggs, peaks form with ridges, and only the tips fall back. 
• Stiff peaks: Lifting the beater from the eggs, peaks form with obvious ridges and the tips remain upright.

Once you've formed soft peaks, begin to gradually add your powdered or granulated sweetener. For 6 whites I used 1/2 cup of sweetener. Many "real" meringue recipes suggest 1-2 tbsp of sugar (so, sweetener) for each egg white. 

You'll also want to add 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar and 1/8 tsp of salt before you begin forming firm peaks. FYI: Cream of tartar is used as a stabilizer in a variety of tasty treats. For example, most (if not all) recipes using egg whites as their primary ingredient call for cream of tartar, as well as candies, and many types of frostings (including whipped cream).

Continue beating your eggs until they reach firm peaks (not stiff). When ready, spoon out your mixture onto the cookie sheets or use a piping bag. I made 50 bite-sized meringues, but you could easily make half that many larger. I began by spooning my eggs out but it felt tedious and I got pretty annoyed/impatient, so I switched to a piping bag.

My baking temperatures and times are a little different than the recipe on ADIDAF. Bake your meringues at 250F for 20 minutes, then 200F for another 20 minutes. At about the halfway mark I switched the positions of the cookie sheets because my top sheet was browning faster than the lower one. I prefer the look of lightly browned meringues, so I ended up adding about 10 minutes to the end of the bake. 

This is only half of what I made. Top right: large, spooned-out meringues that irritated me.

Remove your meringues from the oven and pop one in your mouth, like, immediately. MMM! Read on if you want to know what to do with the chocolate...

I had eaten 5 by this point, and taken some to the SO at work...

I melted 1 oz of Lindt 85% extra dark chocolate and drizzled it over most of my meringues. Break apart the chocolate, toss it in a baggie, and microwave for 10-15 second intervals until melted. Cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag, and decorate away! 

I also poked holes in a few with a meat thermometer (couldn't find anything else on the fly!) and squeezed chocolate into them. So when you bite down you get a soft, airy, marshmallow-y texture, and a chunk of dark chocolate!

Please enjoy!
xo, Jennifer

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