Meringues

Photo: Anonymous

Ingredients

2 Egg whites, at room temperature

8 tablespoons Sugar, preferably superfine

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation

Make these sweet confections, sometimes known as "kisses", anytime you have a few extra egg whites. Be sure the whites are at room temperature before you begin to beat them, and add the sugar very gradually so that the egg whites do not lose any volume.

Preheat oven at 250F. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with a no-stick cooking spray.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and add 6 tablespoons of sugar, one spoon at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the cream of tartar, the vanilla, and fold in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Shape the meringues on the cookie sheet with a pastry bag, a tube, or a spoon.

Bake the meringues for an hour. Turn oven off. Let meringues stand in oven for another 2 hours or until completely cooled.