In the hierarchy of comfort foods, cookies are near the top of the mountain.
Nothing beats a good chocolate chip cookie of course. The heights a few chocolate chips bring an otherwise basic cookie cannot be overstated — it’s a classic for a reason. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and jazz it up with something extra or even take a different route and bake a cookie that doesn’t use chocolate chips or even flour.
We’re walking down a different path this week, as we’re making a cookie that is essentially a combination of sugar and egg whites. As a bonus, we have a cream frosting recipe to use on these delicate bites. I previously posted a “magic” cookie recipe that was somewhat healthy as they only required quick cooking oats and either some mashed banana or apple sauce. This one is the opposite of that.
Creole Kisses with Maple Cream Frosting
These cookie kisses remind me of French macarons. In fact, when researching macaron recipes to compare with, these Creole kisses are missing almond meal and adding some brown sugar to the mix. The name makes sense as French cooking techniques influence Creole cuisine.
The recipe comes from “Black Tie and Cowboy Boots: Timeless Traditions from the New West,” which notes the recipe originated from a Baking at High Altitude bulletin published by the University of Wyoming’s Cooperative Extension Service in 2003. The university continues to publish not just high-altitude baking recipes, but other types of recipes as well.
What you’ll need:
- 3 egg whites at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of vinegar
- 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (optional)
- Maple cream frosting
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, then beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until they form stiff peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar while beating consistently. The beat in the brown sugar gradually. Beat in the vanilla and vinegar, then fold in the nuts. Using a teaspoon, drop the mixture onto two parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing each drop about two inches apart. Bake for 45 minutes. Be sure to not overbake the cookies as they will be brittle. Cool the cookies on a wire rack and frost using the maple cream frosting. Makes about three dozen cookies.
For the maple cream frosting:
- 2 tablespoons of softened butter
- 6 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of maple flavoring
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Cream the butter and confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl until fluffy. Then blend in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract.
Note: My cookies turned out a bit larger than they should have been because I dropped the mixture as instructed, but added more than I should have as it didn’t look like it was enough. It’s okay if the drops look small as they will grow while baking. Also, I overbaked the first batch and yes, they become quite brittle.
