Meringue

Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson, Food Network

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 40 min

Ingredients

Ganache:

• 8 ounces good dark chocolate, chopped (not below 60 percent cocoa, recommended: Valrhona)
• 8 ounces heavy cream, scalded 

Meringue:

• 1 part egg white
• 1 1/2 parts sugar

Directions

Completely melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the cream to a medium bowl and pour in the chocolate. Whisk the mixture very slowly creating a shiny, elastic emulsion.

In a double boiler heat the egg white and sugar until all the graininess of the sugar has dissolved.

Whip the mixture until cooled and thickened into a shiny meringue, about 4 to 7 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 to 220 degrees F.

Fill a pastry or resealable plastic bag with the meringue and pipe little stars or "kisses" onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until very dry, between 40 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. You do not want any color or "browning" on the kisses so keep the oven temperature low. Dip the kisses into the ganache and make ganache sandwiches. Set aside to dry for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

Alternately, you can pipe the meringue into long lines and bake in the oven at 200 to 220 degrees F until nice and dry, about 40 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Then break into little sticks and use them as decorations on your favorite tartlets or cake.