Perfect meringues
depend on totally yolk-free whites. The seemingly fussy step of separating each
egg into a small bowl before combining them guarantees yolk-free whites for
bakeshop-quality meringues every time. These crispy little morsels travel well
and make great gifts too. Makes about 80 cookies.
Ingredients
3 large Organic egg whites,
at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of
tartar
3/4 cup Organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
extract
Separate one egg at a time
into a small bowl, letting the white fall into the bowl and discarding the
yolk. If there’s any trace of yolk in the white, discard the white and start
over. If it’s yolk-free, transfer to a clean medium mixing bowl. Repeat with
the remaining 2 eggs.
Add cream of tartar to the
whites and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks
form. Slowly add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar has
been added. Continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy. Add vanilla
and beat for 30 seconds more.
Position racks in the
upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 200°F. Line 2 large baking
sheets with parchment paper. Place a small amount of the meringue under each
corner of the paper to secure it to the pan. Fill a 1-quart sealable plastic
bag (or pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip) with the meringue. Seal
the bag almost completely, leaving a small opening for air to escape from the
top as you squeeze. Snip off one corner of the bag with scissors, making a
3/4-inch-wide opening. Fold the top of the bag over a few times, then gently
push the meringue down to the snipped corner. Working with the bag
perpendicular to the baking sheet, pipe the meringue into 1 1/2-inch-diameter
cookies, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Bake the cookies until dry and
crisp throughout, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let
the cookies cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
