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Vanilla Bean Meringues

/January 12, 2017/ Leave a comment

I remember during the Christmas season, my family would always have meringue cookies in the house. They come in fun colors like green and pink, and were so sweet, crunchy, and light. I could eat a million of them and never get tired of having another. Luckily they are relatively guilt free and low in calories.

This is my version of those meringue cookies. They are a similar to the cookies you can buy in the store, but I actually think the texture and flavor of my meringues are better than the store-bought kind. I also use a whole vanilla bean to take them over the top, instead of using vanilla extract. It just makes them a bit more luxurious and flavorful.

There are only a few ingredients in these cookies, so they are relatively simple, although they take a bit of time. As long as you follow the steps of this recipe, you should have no problem. I use a KitchenAid mixer for this, but it can be done with a hand mixer as long as you don’t mind taking the time. For piping, you can use a professional piping bag or you can use a gallon zip top bag. Both are good, and this time I used a zip top bag for easy cleanup.

This meringue recipe is a simple vanilla bean, but you can play around with any flavors, which makes this recipe great for any occasion. You can dress up these meringues with different extracts, such as almond or lemon, or you can add crushed candy canes to the top for a more festive look and taste that is great for the holidays!


P.S. Don’t be afraid to play around with the shapes, like hearts to make a the perfect sweet for a sweetie!

Vanilla Bean Meringues
Makes about 60 cookies
Time: 50 minute prep, 50 minute bake, 60 minute rest

3 large egg whites
1 whole vanilla bean
2/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
Pinch of salt

1.

Add egg whites to a large bowl and allow to come to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.

It is important not to get any yolk in the whites, as it will hinder the whites from foaming correctly.

2.

Preheat oven to 240°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

3.

Beat egg whites on medium speed to break them up slightly, about 15 seconds.

4.

Scrape inside of vanilla bean to obtain vanilla bean caviar, by holding one tip of the bean on the cutting board, and slicing down the length of the bean, making sure to not cut all the way through to the opposite side of the pod. Slightly pull the pod open, then using the back of the knife, placing it perpendicular to the pod, scrape the inside from the top to the bottom of the pod.

5.

Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla bean caviar to egg whites. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until frothy.

6.

Add sugar, gradually, beating on high, until it is completely incorporated.

Add about 1 tbsp. of sugar at a time.

7.

After adding all the sugar, if necessary, turn off mixer and scrape down sides of bowl to ensure that all sugar is incorporated.

8.

Beat on high for about 6 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. The mixture should look glossy.

At this point, if you wish, you can add food coloring of your choice to make the meringues festive!

9.

Add mixture to piping bag or zip top bag. You can use a piping tip if you have one, if not, no worries! Snip end of bag to allow piping.

10.

Pipe 1.5 inch diameter rounds, at least 1/2 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

11.

Bake 50 minutes. Turn off oven and let meringues sit in oven for about 1 hour.

12.

Remove from oven and let meringues cool completely before plating or eating.

If they last more than 1 day (which mine barely do), you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Cookies Eggs Meringues Vanilla Bean

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