Meringues are light, but also crunchy and sweet. They are almost entirely fat free, and you can make a lot with just a few eggs.

Total time: About 2.5 hours

Makes about 80

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients

You will need:

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

A pinch of salt

⅔ cup of sugar

Step 2: Separate the Egg Whites

Carefully separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. This recipe only uses egg whites, so you can either throw away the yolks or save them for a different recipe, like a custard. Let the egg whites sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Mix Your Ingredients Together

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees (Fahrenheit). In a medium mixing bowl, add your whites, vanilla extract, salt, and cream of tartar (do not add the sugar yet).

Step 4: Beat the Mixture

Using an electric egg beater or hand mixer, beat the mixture together until it is white and foamy (3-4 minutes).

Step 5: Add the Sugar

Now, slowly add sugar to the mixture 1 tablespoon at a time beating on high for about 30 seconds in between each tablespoon. After all the sugar is added, beat for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the mixture holds its shape and has no visible bubbles.

Step 6: Prepare a Baking Sheet

Cover a large baking sheet in parchment paper. You may need to use multiple baking sheets depending on the size.

Step 7: Prepare a Piping Bag

I used a medium star tip for this, but you can use whatever looks nice to you. If you don't have a piping bag, a 1 gallon ziploc bag works too.

Step 8: Pipe the Meringues

Pipe the meringues to be about 1 inch in diameter, making them about 1/4 - 1/2 inch apart. The meringues don't spread out much during baking, so you don't have to worry about them melting into each other

Step 9: Bake the Meringues

Bake the meringues for 40-45 minutes. They should be firm, but slightly sticky to the touch. Once they are done, turn off the oven and leave them in the oven for another hour. Make sure you do not open the oven door until the hour is up. Once they are cooled, they are ready to eat.

Step 10: How to Store the Meringues

Store the meringues in an airtight container at room temperature. If they are left out in open air for too long they can get soft, so make sure you always keep them sealed.