No. 3371

Cocoanut Kisses

Meringues Moelleuses aux Noix de Coco

Place eight egg-whites free from yolks in a basin, whip until they become a stiff froth, then add with a small spatula one pound of sifted sugar, having part of it flavored with vanilla (No. 3165), and one pound of grated cocoanut. Wet a board thoroughly, cover it with a sheet of paper, dampen this lightly and on it range small balls of the preparation one inch in diameter, placing them slightly apart. As soon as finished bestrew with powdered sugar and push into a very slack oven to cook from eighteen to twenty minutes. After removing lift from the paper and fasten two by two together.

← No. 3370 Chocolate Chestnuts Fancy Cakes — Petits Fours No. 3372 Exquisites with Chestnuts →

For the Modern Kitchen

Ranhofer's coconut kisses are a soft (moelleuses) meringue rather than a dry one, and the two things that decide success are the coconut you use and how cool the oven is.

"A very slack oven"Usually read today as something in the region of 250-275F. Anything hotter risks browning the sugar and drying the centers, which defeats the point of a meringue moelleuse. Ranhofer gives no temperature, only the eighteen to twenty minutes.
Measurements in weightEight egg whites is roughly 8 oz / 1 cup. One pound of sifted sugar is about 2 1/4 cups granulated; one pound of grated coconut is about 5 to 6 cups loosely packed. Weigh rather than measure if you can — the ratio of sugar to whites is what holds the batter together.
The coconutRanhofer most likely means fresh coconut, grated by hand, moist and comparatively coarse, though packaged desiccated coconut was reaching American kitchens by this date. Unsweetened dried or flaked coconut is the closest substitute; sweetened bagged coconut will make the kisses cloying and is more likely to scorch. If using dried, expect a stiffer, drier mixture.
Vanilla sugarNo. 3165 is Ranhofer's cross-reference for vanilla-flavored sugar. A teaspoon of vanilla extract folded in with the sugar does much the same work, though it loosens the meringue slightly.
Folding, not whippingThe sugar and coconut go in with a spatula after the whites are stiff. Fold in thirds and stop as soon as no dry sugar shows; overworking collapses the foam and the balls will spread flat.
The wet board and damp paperMost likely a way of keeping the paper flat and the bottoms from scorching in a period oven. In a modern oven use parchment on a heavy sheet pan and skip the water.
Dusting and shapingOne-inch balls, set slightly apart as Ranhofer says; a small scoop or two teaspoons is easier than piping with coconut in the mixture. The dusting of powdered sugar before baking helps form the thin crust that lets the halves be lifted whole.
Joining two by twoPair them while still slightly warm, flat side to flat side; the undersides are tacky enough to hold. Once fully cool they may need a dab of jam or ganache.
Yield and keepingKeeping -- they soften badly in humid air; keep them in a tin with a tight lid and eat within two or three days.

A Little History

Charles Ranhofer ran the kitchen at Delmonico's in New York and published The Epicurean in 1894 as a record of the house repertoire, which is why even a small petit four like this one carries a number and a cross-reference. "Kisses" was a common American name in the nineteenth century for a small baked meringue drop, often linked to the French baiser, and cookbooks of the period give almond, chocolate and coconut versions, frequently joined in pairs. Coconut became a more familiar pastry ingredient in American kitchens in the decades around this book, as shipping and then commercially shredded and dried coconut sold in packages made it cheaper for confectionery. Ranhofer's "grated cocoanut" suggests the fresh nut and a grater, which would give a softer, moister crumb than later recipes built on packaged coconut.