Crispy Baked Meringues

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

1. 1

   Whip the egg whites and salt into peaks.

2. 2

   Add the vanilla, and continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl, stir the cream of tartar into the regular sugar and whisk into the whites very gradually, a spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and the sugar has dissolved.

4. 4

   Sift together the icing sugar and cornstarch. Sift over the meringue and gently fold until fully incorporated.

5. 5

   Pipe or spoon the meringues onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Each meringue should be about the size of a bar of soap.

6. 6

   Bake at 225ºF/110ºC until cream-coloured and crisp on top when tapped, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

7. 7

   Remove from the oven. Cool on the trays. Store in an air-tight container.