Green Matcha Meringues

I have always loved meringues.  In fact, when I was a kid and my parents went out for the evening, we used to take egg whites, whip them until firm, add sugar, and eat.  Yes, you heard that right.  We never cooked the meringue, just ate the egg whites and sugar.  Fast forward 50-60 years and I now know how to cook the meringues.  Here is a recipe for green tea meringues, a little twist on traditional meringues.  I think you will like them.  They're so pretty and delicious.

                                       Green Matcha Meringues

2 egg whites

125 grams sugar

1 T. matcha (ground green tea)

1/4 tst/ cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Whip egg whites until soft peaks, then add sugar, little by little, incorporating each addition before adding more.  The process of adding the sugar will take 5-10 minutes, and egg whites should be stiff and glossy when finished.  Add matcha, cream of tartar, and a drop of green food coloring for a deeper green color.  If you can't find ground matcha in the supermarket (Whole Foods should have it), just take the tea leaves from a few green tea bags and grind it.

Transfer the meringue mixture to a pastry bag.  Use a star as the tip of the pastry bag and pipe meringues onto parchment paper.  Cook for 20 minutes at 300 degrees, then crack the oven and let meringues sit in cooling oven until completely cool.  For an extra treat, melt chocolate (your choice, dark or milk), and dip tips of meringue in chocolate.  They are a beautiful dessert.  I hope you enjoy.