These easy meringue cookies are made with egg whites, brown sugar, vanilla, and a simple cinnamon sugar topping. Egg whites make this a fat-free cookie.
Baking the meringue cookies at a low temperature dries the meringues slowly and makes the outside crunchy.
Pipe the meringue through a decorative star tip for a fancy look.
Ingredients
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3 large egg whites, room temperature; see recipe tips
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1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
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1/4 cup brown sugar
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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1/3 cup cinnamon sugar, for topping
Steps to Make It
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Preheat oven to 250 F.
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Arrange the oven racks so one is in the upper third and the other is in the bottom third of the oven.
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Put sugars in food processor and process for about 60 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, you can skip this step. It just helps make the sugar a little finer and it will dissolve more quickly. If you can find superfine sugar, use that along with the brown sugar.
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Beat the egg whites on medium speed of electric mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar; continue beating until the egg whites hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in both sugars and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in vanilla extract. The meringue should be very smooth and have no sugar grittiness.
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Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. A tiny dot of meringue under the parchment paper at each corner will keep it from moving while you work.
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Spoon small mounds of meringue on the parchment paper. Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar over each mound. Or pipe the meringue using a decorative star tip, if desired.
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Bake for 1 hour, rotating the baking sheets after 30 minutes. Take a meringue out to test. Break in half; it should be dry in the center. Turn the oven off and leave the door partially open. Leave meringues in the oven for 1 hour longer.
Recipe Tips
- To make cinnamon sugar, blend 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 1 scant teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- To bring egg whites up to room temperature quickly, separate them first. Place the egg whites in a small bowl and place the bowl in a larger bowl of warm tap water for about 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
23 | Calories |
0g | Fat |
6g | Carbs |
0g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 36 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 23 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 0g | 0% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 5mg | 0% |
Total Carbohydrate 6g | 2% |
Dietary Fiber 0g | 1% |
Total Sugars 5g | |
Protein 0g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 4mg | 0% |
Iron 0mg | 0% |
Potassium 11mg | 0% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |