When life gives you strawberries, you make Meringues! At least that's what I did this past weekend when my family and I went on our annual strawberry picking tradition. These simple cookies remind me of toasted marshmallows on the fire, and taste amazing with some freshly picked strawberries and softly whipped cream. I imagine they'd be even better drizzled with caramel and dipped in chocolate.. but that's another recipe.
So here we go, meringues!
Ingredients:
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1.) Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. with the rack in the centre of the oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2.) In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continu
e to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.3.) Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) tip. Pipe 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) rounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, spoon mounds of meringue, using two spoons, onto the prepared sheets.
4.) Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying overnight.
Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) meringues
