Meringue cookies

By barbsjustagirl

These can be done using any color you want!!!

These “melt in your mouth” cookies were my Mom’s favorite, because they were cheap, easy to make and pretty. She made them every Christmas when I was growing up.
My mom called them “Forgotten” because she would preheat the oven to 275 degrees; put the cookies in the oven, then turn it off and leave them overnight (and forget them).

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 1 1/3 cup sugar

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.
Sprinkle in salt and cream of tartar; beat until “soft peaks” form.
Gradually add sugar, beating until “stiff peaks” form, about 5-8 minutes.
Take almost the full 5-8 minutes to sprinkle the sugar in.
Make sure the meringue is “stiff” looking or the cookies will droop.
Drop by teaspoonfuls or use a pastry bag with a big star tip onto foil lined cookie sheets.
Top with colorful sprinkles if desired.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Bake for 1.5 hours.
Turn off heat; leave cookies in the oven with the door ajar for at least an hour.


Other tips:
If you add food coloring- you may need to beat a little more to bring the “stiff” peaks back.
If you get even a drop of egg yolk in the whites, they will never get “stiff”.
How they look when you put them in the oven is exactly how they will look when they are done.
You can place them really close together on the foil
After cooking, the more they dry, the more they melt in your mouth!