Every year, my mother dedicates several days during the holidays to make an assortment of Christmas cookies. When we were kids, we participated; for us, making holiday cookies was an adventure. This was especially true of what became known in our family as Christmas kisses. We loved making Christmas kisses because each kiss looked like a little snow-covered mountain.
To make Christmas kisses, the white part of the egg (aka albumen — the basis of the cookie) is separated from the yoke. My mother cautioned we must be careful when separating the white from the yoke. “If any part of the yoke gets mixed in with the white, the egg white won’t swell and become stiff.” Standing on our kitchen step stool (the waist strings of an apron tied around my neck) with my mother guiding me, we gently cracked the egg and carefully separated the white from the yoke. With an electric beater, we beat the clear “white” part until it “swelled.” I watched in amazement as I beat the concoction until it became foamy. Mother instructed me to continue beating until stiff peaks formed.
Once the mixture became stiff, we “folded in” candy canes that had been crushed into small bits. To prepare for baking, we would take spoonfuls of the mixture and dollop them onto a baking sheet. Before kisses went in the oven, with the back of the spoon and with an upward motion we gave peaks to each of the kisses. Christmas kisses were placed in the oven, where they “slept” overnight.
There isn’t a Christmas season that passes when I don’t reflect on the wonderful experience making Christmas kisses with my mother and how I could actually turn the clear “white” part of the egg into “snowy mountainous peaks.” The magic continued while I was sleeping; the Christmas kisses I made were “sleeping” in our beloved Chambers stove.
I have carried on our family tradition of making Christmas kisses. In keeping with my ever-evolving food choices, I have made some changes over the years. The candy canes I use are made using all-natural ingredients; the red part of the candy is made with red beet powder. These candy canes are handmade by Hammond’s Candies and are available at Whole Foods market or by calling 1-888-226-3999.
CHRISTMAS KISSES
2 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
A pinch cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
(about one 2-ounce Hammond’s candy cane)
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla, cream of tartar and one tablespoon of sugar at a time. Beat on medium speed until mixture is stiff and soft peaks form, about 4-5 minutes. Fold in crushed peppermint candy. Drop by teaspoons on a parchment-lined baking sheet. With the back of a spoon, give each kiss some peaks. Place in preheated oven, turn off oven and “bake” kisses for 6 hours or overnight. Gently pull kisses from parchment paper. Yields about 2 1/2 dozen.
Kerry Dunnington, food columnist and author of “This Book Cooks,” is passionate about food that reflects nutrition, color, balance, texture and variety of the season. Catch her column biweekly in Healthy Life. She can be reached at [email protected].
