Light and heavenly, meringue is little more than egg whites and sugar, whipped into clouds of pure delight and gently baked. Billows of it can be used to top a pie, but it’s equally wonderful on its own, too, piped into cookies, kisses, cakes, and nests for fresh fruit.
To prepare a basic meringue, separate the egg whites and place in a very clean glass or metal bowl (plastic bowls can have a greasy film that prevents foaming). Try to separate the eggs without leaving even a trace of yolk in the whites as the fat in the yolk can prevent the whites from developing the volume you want.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar and water to boil and cook until mixture is slightly thickened and syrupy, about 3 to 4 minutes (235 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
In a standing mixer fit with the whisk, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, whip egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt together on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute.
Increase mixer speed to medium-high and whip until whites are shiny and soft peaks form, about 1 to 3 minutes.
Reduce mixer speed to medium and slowly drizzle warm syrup (avoid the whisk attachment and sides of bowl). Add vanilla, increase speed to medium-high, and whip until mixture has cooled slightly and is very thick and shiny, about 3 to 6 minutes.
Pile the meringue onto your warm dessert and bake 425 degrees (218 degrees Celsius) for about 4 to 5 minutes - just enough to gently brown the peaks.
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Notes
For a hard meringue such as kisses, you'll need to double the recipe above. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks. As a final step, add food coloring if desiredThen preheat your oven to 275˚ F (135°C). Pipe or dollop the egg whites onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake until firm- about 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack before serving. Store cooled meringues in an airtight container for 1 week or wrap well and freeze up to 1 month.