Merry Elf Hats

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 -3 drops red food coloring or 2 -3 drops green food coloring
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 3/4 cup cashews, finely chopped (use your favorite nut, cashews are my fave and what i use)

Recipe

• 1 in a medium mixing bowl allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. meanwhile, grease a cookie sheet; set aside.
• 2 preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• 3 add vanilla, cream of tartar, and food coloring to the egg whites. beat whites at medium speed until soft peaks form.
• 4 add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating about 5 minutes on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• 5 spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch round tip. pipe small 1-inch-high mounds that end in an angled tip about 1 inch apart on prepared sheet.
• 6 bake about 15 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.
• 7 when cookies are cool, dip bottoms into melted chocolate, then into chopped nuts.
• 8 set on waxed paper until chocolate is firm.
• 9 if desired, add a dot of colored icing to each tip.