Meringue "Kisses"

Many people, old and young alike, seem to love meringues. Something about the airy, and almost cloud-like mounds of sweet, crunchy goodness keeps them coming back. They are surprisingly easy to throw together, though they do take a while to "bake".I usually make meringues using the leftover egg whites from making key lime pie, because they take the same number of whites that go unused in the pie (which uses only the yolks). However, that doesn't mean that you can't whip these up just for the sake of wanting meringues, and not as a way to "use up" leftover egg whites. Yummy!

Meringue "Kisses"
Adapted from Food Network
Makes about 3 dozen

3 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar (or honey sucanat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or flavoring of choice)

Preheat oven to 225ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Making sure your mixing utensils are clean and free of grease, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add in cream of tarter and turn speed to high. Beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes). Stir in extract.

Spoon meringue into zip-top or pastry bag, fitted with a star tip. Pipe "kisses" onto parchment lined sheets, spacing evenly. Bake until dry and crisp, about 3 hours. Allow meringues to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. Enjoy!