April 7, 2019
Our sweet friend Autumn was visiting us from California. I decided to make meringues for the occasion. When Autumn saw them and tasted them a huge smile came over her face
“These are the cookies my grandmother used to have! What are these called? I haven’t had one in years?”
She continued to share a fond memory of her visits with her grandmother. A jar with a light blue lid, filled with little white cookies, would sit on top of her grandmother’s refrigerator, taunting her. She would ask grandma for one of those yummy cookies, but Grandma would always say, (just like they always do), you’ll have to wait until after dinner.
Autumn loved these treats. It was impossible to wait until after dinner. So, she did what all smart, mischievous, innovative, small children would do; she found a stool and pushed it up to the fridge and helped herself to that magical vanilla treat.
I mean…who wants to wait until after dinner? You’ve got to go for what you want in life…even if you’re a rule follower like me and Autumn!
This was such a happy memory for Autumn. I told her that these are quite simply the easiest cookies to make and she needs to do this.
Isn’t it wonderful how food can create the fondest of memories?
Autumn wanted to surprise her family, especially her dad whose mom was the creator of this wonderful memory. So, while she was here visiting, we had a little lesson and Autumn made her first batch of Vanilla Meringues. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezie!
You just have to follow a few important rules:
- Egg whites need to be at room temperature.
- It’s very important that your mixing bowl and beaters are clean, dry and fat free. In other words, no traces of that whip cream you just whipped up can be left in the bowl.
- I highly recommend getting pasteurized egg whites in the carton, so you are sure to not get any egg yolk in your whites which cause them to not whip up.
- After they have cooked for the hour, turn the oven off and leave them in there to cool without opening the oven.
Waiting for the egg whites to be room temperature like…
Simple Vanilla Meringues
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons egg white
- ½ Teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 Cup Fine sugar
- ½ Teaspoon vanilla or lavender or lemon…whatever flavor you’d like!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225F
- Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on low speed until it begins to foam.
- Turn mixer to high speed and beat until soft peaks form
- Begin adding your cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pause between each addition to be sure the sugar is dissolved between each addition…about 15 seconds.
- Beat until mixture is pure white and firm peaks form
- Place mixture in forcing back fitted with star tip.
- On parchment lined cookie sheets, make your little meringue stars about an inch wide. Go ahead and place them close together. They won’t spread like cookies.
- Cook at 225 for 1 hour.
- Turn the oven off and let them cool in the oven, without opening the door, for as long as you can before you become a mischievous child, like Autumn, and just have to eat one.
Notes
You can color them or flavor them however you’d like…so many different options from peppermint to lemon to lavender. And, they are under 20 calories a pop so that’s a big win!
Paula
Those meringue treats look pretty and delicious. Yes, cooking with others does make great memories. Love the story.
Jill
We eat those meringues up like tic tacs!
I think I need a Paula Recipe section of the blog! You in? xo Jill