Meringues!

If you are looking for a light and airy dessert that does not make you feel guilty for indulging, then meringue is the dessert for you! What I am going to share with you is a basic vanilla meringue, this can serve as a jumping off point to add your own flavors, colors and goodies.

I do find it helpful to have either an electric hand mixer or stand mixer because you will want to reach stiff peaks and it is nice to have either do the heavy lifting.

You will also need to have patience. Do not rush the process or the meringues will not end up quite right – not holding it’s shape (didn’t beat long enough) or sticky (didn’t beat long enough, didn’t let them bake long enough or properly cool down).

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Meringue

Ingredients:

3 Egg Whites
1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Move your oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Submerge eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes to bring to room temperature.

Separate the egg whites by gently cracking the eggs, passing the yolk back and forth between the shell halves, letting the whites drip into a bowl between your hands.

Discard the yolks and add the whites to the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl to use an electric hand mixer.

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.

Slowly add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while running the mixer, until all of the sugar has been incorporated. Continue beating until stiff peaks form and the mixture is shiny.

Add the vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds more.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Now it is time to pipe out your meringues. If you have a piping bag and piping tips, feel free to use. Otherwise, you can fill a Ziploc almost completely full with the meringue mixture, but leave a small opening so that air can escape. Cut one corner of your Ziploc bag, making a 3/4-inch opening. Fold the top of the Ziploc bag over a few times, and then push the meringue down to the snipped corner. Pipe your meringues out onto your prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 90 minutes or until dry and crispy. Without removing the baking sheets from the oven, shut the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for at least an hour. Then remove from the oven and cool completely before eating or storing.

Enjoy!

Recipe curtesy of HubPages