Vanilla Meringue Cookies

I have now crossed another item off my "someday I will make that" list. I was so excited to give these a try. My lovely friend Devon told me about a dessert her family calls Utter Chaos that has different flavors of whipped cream, meringues, and fruit (like these vanilla meringues, whipped cream, and strawberries). So yeah, I had to pretty much go straight home and get to baking! Meringues are so easy, so pretty, and so unique! The texture is fascinating. So light, airy, sweet, and dry. Almost styrofoam like! I cannot wait to crumble these up tonight with some homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries. I might even share! :)

Aren't they just lovely?? They are a fun easy cookie that you can make in many different flavors and shapes. A friend of mine posted that she had made some larger ones and put fresh strawberries in between them. They would make perfect "ends" to smoosh something yummy in the middle of - like lemon curd. Mmmm...

Vanilla Meringue Cookies from Taste of Home

Ingredients
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Dash salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 250°. Add vanilla, cream of tartar and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes.
3. Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; insert a #32 star tip. Transfer meringue to bag. Pipe 1-1/4-in.-diameter cookies 2 in. apart onto silpat lined baking sheets (I piped mine much closer together so I could fit them all onto 2 cookie sheets and bake together in 1 batch and they came out fine).
4. Bake 40-45 minutes or until firm to the touch. Turn off oven (leaving the oven door shut); leave meringues in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and finish cooling on baking sheets. Remove meringues from baking sheets and store in an airtight container at room temperature.