Courtesy of the Internet, current news appears with lightening speed. Images and information whoosh into our computers in nanoseconds. But nature needs time when nurturing true learning. When mastering the cuisine of another culture or a new baking technique, permission to make baby step progress is crucial.
Letting go of the expectation of perfect results is required for
peace of mind.
At least for this Ninja Baker. How about you?
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When faced with a new challenge, it behooves me to remember the Japanese proverb, “Drops of water will drill through a stone.”
(??????? )
Winnie the Pooh wisdom also helps:
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
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As I took on the daunting task of redoing my Cinnamon Coffee Meringue Cookies for the third time, I found shelter in the above adages. And a quote from a children’s book classic; “I think I can, I think I can.” (Remember The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper?)
Of course, a scoop of Ben & Jerry's makes everything better...
including Cinnamon Coffee Merinuge Cookies!
The Cinnamon Coffee Meringue Cookies escapade was prompted by a visit to Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt during last month’s Creative Cookie Exchange. (Please see below for your invite from Laura of The Spiced Life.) A dazzling display of Mocha Meringue Cookies winked at me with a come hither look. Miranda, the author of the aforementioned Mocha Meringues, assured me the exquisite cookies were easy to make. She is probably right...If one is not so inclined to improvise with ingredients.
Mini cinnamon coffee meringues pair perfectly with fresh strawberry ice cream.
I’ll spare you the details of my 3 (embarrassing) attempts. However, I’m excited to share Cinnamon Coffee Meringue Cookie tips, which were discovered in the process.
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Chemistry Matters: White Chocolate Cocoa (think The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) is fantastic when whipping up frosting. Not so much when beating egg whites for meringue cookies.
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Bigger Is Better: For a normal size cookie, use a bigger tip when piping the meringue. (Probably obvious to you but maybe there are a few readers who might appreciate the reminder.)
Note: Doll-size cookies are still scrumptious. A few calorie-conscious friends actually preferred the petite Cinnamon Coffee Meringues. In fact, all sizes of my Cinnamon Coffee Meringues brought big grins to my Business Japanese study group mates.
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Reach for the Stars: For prettier cookies, grab the star tip when piping the meringues.
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Chocolate Sauce Caution: Chocolate is sublime. But not when it’s dripping onto your clean white apron. Remember the kitchen sink and paper towels when pouring chocolate sauce into the piping bag.
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Perseverance in the kitchen pays off! As Confucius said, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
Mini? but Mighty Cinnamon Coffee Meringue Cookies
Speaking of perseverance we are celebrating the Mexican victory over the French in 1892 during the Franco-Mexican War with today’s Cookies for Cinco de Mayo Creative Cookie Exchange. That is why I thought I'd replicate a meringue cookie version of Mexican coffee. Scroll down to see how other Creative Cookie Exchanganistas celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
