Festive Meringue Cookies

By ctozzi

These confections are light, airy, delicious and low-fat! Color them to suit your special occasion, green and red for Christmas, purple, pink, green, and blue for Easter, pink for Valentine's Day, pink and blue for a baby shower--the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 25 drops food colors

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 225°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.