Pomegranate Meringues

Since I've been home on Spring Break, I've been on a meringue kick (partially induced by the fact that --GOODNESS!-- we have a stand mixer here!)

As most who are familiar with Chicago know, there is a huge, wonderful, thriving foodie scene here. And my neighborhood happens to be a hub-- we even have an olive oil store!

My favorite store in the neighborhood (well, second to Greer) is The Spice House. I love going in there, seeing all the different spice mixtures, sniffing the fresh extracts... complete heaven. And the salespeople couldn't be nicer. I always make a point of hitting it up when I come home, even if I'm only here for a day or two.

And, while browsing today, I met this tall, dark, handsome gentleman:

Then, I introduced him to my lovely meringue mixture...

They got along quite nicely, it seems.

And the result?

Pomegranate Meringues

2 egg whites, room temperature

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup fine sugar

4 tsp pomegranate molasses

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 250F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar to the eggs. Then, slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Gently fold in the pomegranate molasses and cocoa powder. Place the batter/dough into a pastry bag or a ziploc bag with the top cut off. Pipe onto the parchment paper. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Once the cookies look dry and VERY lightly browned, remove and allow to cool. Allow cookies to sit out for a few hours to dry. Then dig in!