could it possibly true? a delicious meringue?

so, for those who do not know, i love meringues more than anything else in the world. they are simple, especially with a stand mixer, delicious, and you can get lots of things done while they are baking. most often meringues are made with a superfine sugar, which dissolves quickly in the eggwhites. they can be flavored with pretty much any extract, and still taste fantastic. they lighten as they bake, so when food color is added, they turn light and pastel and beautiful. they are crisp on the outside and crack when you bite into them but soft and gooey on the inside, absolutely delightful. they are the basis of the australian/new zealand dessert pavlova, which is the greatest creation on this earth. i probably love them more than i love you, you tragic person who has stumbled upon this unfortunate collection of recipes, but i do love you, for you are reading this and in some way validating my writing it.

now for the recipe

ingredients

3 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or any other extract you so choose)

1. beat egg whites until stiff.

2. add cream of tartar

3. add sugar

4. add extract

5. beat until the meringue has stiff peaks (it will not want to move at all, thoroughly stuck in the mixer and will hold its shape)

6. place on a baking sheet (you can pipe it if you so choose, i prefer to just use spoons. it's not a beautiful final product but for now, i'm lazy and piping simply means more dishes to wash)

7. bake at 200 degrees for an hour and a half

8. turn off oven and leave the meringue in the oven overnight (note, if you need them that day, it is not a problem, you merely let them cool. they are not quite as fantastic as if you leave them be for the evening, but they will still be a smash)

the recipe makes about 10 - 12 large meringue cookies. decrease the baking time only by a little if you make the meringues smaller than 2-1/2 to 3 inches in diameter.

note. do not use a plastic bowl for mixing. plastic tends to hold the fat of things that you've mixed previously. so if you've ever made anything with butter your meringue will not come out. that's the problem with egg whites, they're terribly temperamental.

but look at these! how could you possibly resist!

also, i made some today with brown sugar instead. they are just as delightful. they are slightly more chewy, perhaps in need of a greater sugar to egg white ratio, but i shall continue to try to improve them.