Melt in Your Mouth Meringues

Melt in your Mouth Meringues

(America)

makes about 50

These are my all time favourite cookie, light and airy and as the recipe title says, these cookies absolutely melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

6 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 ½ cups sugar

Preparation

Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 225° F.

create the dough:

Place egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until the whites become foamy.  Add the vanilla, the salt, and the cream of tartar while continuing to beat the egg whites.  Add the sugar, a teaspoon at a time, beating for about a minute between additions.  Continue beating the mixture after the last of the sugar has been added for about 8 minutes until the egg whites become very stiff, glossy, and smooth.*

form the cookies:

Using a spoon, put the mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch star tip.  Pipe the meringues onto the prepared cookie sheets allowing about 1-inch between each meringue.

bake the meringues:

Reduce the oven temperature to 200° F. and bake the meringues for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the meringues are dry to the touch, remember meringues don’t really bake they dry.  Turn off the oven and leave the cookie sheets in the oven until the oven cools enough so you can remove the cookie sheets from the oven with your naked hand.

service:

When the meringues are thoroughly cooled either remove from the cookie sheets to a serving platter or to a lidded container and store in a cool dry place.

* colouring or flavoured extracts can be added at this point one drop at a time until the colour or flavour you desire is achieved.  Do not add too much colouring or flavouring or the meringues will go flat.