MAKES ABOUT 48 SMALL COOKIES
Meringues may be a little soft immediately after being removed from the oven but will stiffen as they cool. To minimize stickiness on humid or rainy days, allow the meringues to cool in a turned-off oven for an additional hour (for a total of 2 hours) without opening the door, then transfer them immediately to airtight containers and seal. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
¾ |
cup (5¼ ounces) sugar |
|
2 |
teaspoons cornstarch |
|
4 |
large egg whites |
|
¾ |
teaspoon vanilla extract |
|
⅛ |
teaspoon salt |
1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine sugar and cornstarch in small bowl.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, beat egg whites, vanilla, and salt together on high speed until very soft peaks start to form (peaks should slowly lose their shape when whisk is removed), 30 to 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add sugar mixture in steady stream down side of mixer bowl (process should take about 30 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl. Increase speed to high and beat until glossy and stiff peaks have formed, 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Working quickly, place meringue in pastry bag fitted with ½-inch plain tip or large zipper-lock bag with ½ inch of corner cut off. Pipe meringues into 1¼-inch-wide mounds about 1 inch high on prepared sheets, 6 rows of 4 meringues on each sheet. Bake for 1 hour, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Turn off oven and let meringues cool in oven for at least 1 hour. Remove meringues from oven, immediately transfer from sheet to wire rack, and let cool to room temperature before serving. (Meringues can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)