Meringues

Meringues make a beautiful addition to your dessert and cookie tray during the Holidays. They look so fancy, but truth be told, meringues terrified me in chef school, mostly because we had to whip them by hand and if there was any oil in the bowl the egg whites would just stay wet and frothy. With a stand mixer or handheld beaters it is so much easier and quicker, just make sure everything is clean and dry before you start.

Chef's Tip: If I don’t have a piping bag I’ll use a clean plastic bag then cut a corner to create a small hole, piping tip not needed. 
Yields: 40 to 50 1” round meringues

• 4 large egg whites  
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt 
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar 
• ½ tsp vanilla extract 
• ¾ cup organic cane sugar 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In a stand mixer bowl (or using a bowl with handheld beaters) whisk the egg whites on medium speed.  
3. After one-minute sprinkle in the salt and cream of tartar.  Continue to whisk on medium speed until foamy and the mixture begins to whiten.  
4. With the machine still running, sprinkle in sugar a teaspoon at a time. Once all the sugar is combined, turn off the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate any sugar that has stuck there.  
5. Add vanilla. Whisk on medium for one more minute then increase the speed to high. 
6. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny like satin, stop mixing.   
7. Transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheets using a large round tip or star tip. 
8. Place the meringues in the oven. Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringues are dry, and can easily be removed from the pan. Allow meringues to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.