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Vanilla Meringue Cookies

Source of Recipe

From "Christmas Baking" by Joyce and Laura Klynstra


Recipe Introduction

"These light-as-air beauties melt in your mouth, and you can customize the look with different piping tips and food coloring."

List of Ingredients

◦ 6 egg whites
◦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
◦ � teaspoon cream of tartar
◦ � cup sugar
◦ � cup confectioners' sugar


Recipe

Preheat oven to 200� F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment or baking mat and set aside. Prepare a large piping bag with a large star or round tip and prop in a tall glass. Fold over the top 2 to 3 inches of the opening so it is ready to be filled.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar at medium-low until foamy. Increase speed to medium, and add sugar and confectioners' sugar slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time. Increase speed to medium-high for 2 minutes. Increase again to high speed, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 4 additional minutes.

With a rubber spatula, scoop meringue into prepared pastry bag. Pipe cookies in swirls or blobs onto the prepared baking sheet. Meringues do not expand like other cookies, so it's okay to space them about � inch apart. Bake for 2 hours. After 2 hours, turn off the oven and leave them in the oven for another hour. This process is more about drying the meringues than baking them. Store meringues in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 36






❧ Variation: Peppermint Meringue Cookies:

When preparing piping bag, paint 2 to 3 lines of pink or red food coloring from the tip to the fold inside the piping bag with a small paintbrush.

Replace vanilla extract with � teaspoon peppermint extract.