Meringues: The Perfect Holiday Cookie

I fell in love with meringues when my brother married his wife, who hasCeliacs Disease and all of a sudden holiday parties and desserts became much more of a panic.Everything has flour, of course! And then, I discovered the wonderful (and easy) world of meringues.

And this recipe, my friends, is absolutely the most versatile in the dessert section. Not to mention, they are incredibly easy to whip up as long as you have the time to wait for them to slowly, slowly bake. I recommend making them right before bed time and keeping them in the oven overnight.

Scary, delicious meringue ghosts. (Photo: Kristy McCarron/DC on Heels)

I’ve mentioned meringues before, in a Pavlova recipe, but this year I made the same batch, piped them into little mounds and voila! You’ve got ghosts on your hands. In another month, you can repeat this and make a snowman. Add some green to that mix, and you’ve got yourself a wreath. Catch my drift? Get creative! And get creative with the flavors too: vanilla extract, mint extracts, almond…

Meringue Recipe 

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Using an electric mixer, beat together:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Slowly add 1/2 cup white sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Pipe onto parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake for three hours, until firm to the touch. Turn off oven and let meringues sit in oven until cool, about another two hours. I usually keep my meringues in the oven until the very last minute, as storing meringues can be a bit tricky. They must be kept in a dry, sealed container. Add decorations with anything, my monsters above were painted with melted chocolate.

Happy baking, friends.