Recipe: Festive Meringue Cookies (pretty pastel colors)

FESTIVE MERINGUE COOKIES



4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
25 to 30 drops McCormick Assorted NEON! Food Colors and Egg Dye
1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

Beat egg whites in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. (If using a freestanding mixer, use wire whisk attachment.) Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form.

Increase speed to medium-high. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Beat in extract and food color until well blended. Gently stir in chips, if desired.

Drop by rounded measuring teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto 2 large foil-lined baking sheets sprayed with no stick cooking spray.

Bake both sheets of meringues at the same time 45 minutes. Turn oven off. Let meringues stand in oven 1 hour or until completely cooled.

*Or use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and/or 1/2 teaspoon mint extract

TEST KITCHEN TIPS:
- Eggs separate more easily when they are warm. Place egg whites in bowl and bring to room temperature. To speed up this process, place bowl of egg whites into a slightly larger bowl containing lukewarm water.
- Make sure beater and mixing bowl are spotlessly clean. Any grease in the mixture will deflate meringue.
- Do not make meringues during humid weather. Moisture will prevent egg whites from forming stiff peaks.
- For best results, bake meringues on baking sheets lined with nonstick foil. Or bake on foil-lined baking sheets sprayed with no stick cooking spray.
- To make different shapes of meringue, spoon meringue mixture into large resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and gently squeeze to pipe meringue onto baking sheets. Pipe into various shapes, such as hearts, "kisses," letters, numbers, etc.

Makes 6 dozen or 12 (6 cookie) servings
Source: McCormick