Meringue Cookies

What is Meringue?
If you've never had one, meringues are light, airy cookies with crisp interiors.

First time I have tried meringue cookies when exploring the Grand Market in Brussels. Brussels is full of sweets/ chocolate shops but it was a treat to see that this shop is making their own unique items that are a truly delicious.

Elisabeth  Chocolatier is a chocolate and artinasal sweets boutique shop with several franchises around the city center of Brussels. We stopped by two of their shops, finding them cute and quaintly decorated. 

They had huge meringue cookies in the window which enticed us inside.
They also sell many other sweets and many size of meringue cookies. 
We purchased several meringue cookies (blueberry and caramel) and they were both amazingly good.

Meringue itself made from egg whites and sugar... so.. it must be very sweet.
Some call it a candy, some call it a cookie-I call it delicious and the taste always reminds me of marshmallow.

I am ready to share the recipe today, so that you too can make these addictive little sweet treats, with your own different flavors!

Meringue Cookies

Yield: Makes about 10 (6 cm) meringue

INGREDIENT
A simple recipe, only needs four ingredients:
- 150 gr castor sugar,
- 3 egg whites (90 gr)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (can be replaced with a pinch of salt)
- 1/4 tsp of any extract you like (vanilla, almond, etc). 

NOTE
- Don't forget to preheat your oven to 200 degress F (95 degress C) and place the rack in the center of the oven.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on 

low-medium speed until foamy.

Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until they hold soft peaks.

Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat, on a medium-high speed, until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the almond extract.

The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks (I like the colour..:P).

You can test by rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not fell gritty.
If it feels gritty that means the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.

Spoon mounds of meringue (you can use ice cream scoop), I'm prefer using two spoons onto the prepared sheets.
Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking.

The meringues are done when they are pake in colour, fairly crips, and release easily from the parchment paper.

Turn off the oven to finish drying several hours or overnight.

...Sweet, sour, crunchy, soft.... melt in my mouth... happy baking all :))

The meringues can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days.

enjoy :*

luv, Sandra