COOK [recipes]

Simple, airy, sweet and crunchy, with a mocking sun-kissed hue. If these meringue cookies were people, we probably wouldn’t be friends. Sure, I eat a minimum of six of these guilt-free delicious cookies in any given half hour at a posh get-together and love every bite…but hang out with them in a back alley party in the dirty South? Never. Unlike my friends, these cookies are meant to impress with little effort.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites at medium-low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-high, whipping until the whites hold soft peaks. With the mixer running at medium speed, add the brown sugar a little at a time until it is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until the meringue holds very stiff peaks.

Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a large (1⁄2-inch) star tip. Pipe 11⁄2-inch dollops of meringue onto the baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 1 hour, then rotate the baking sheets and continue to bake for 1 more hour. When the baking time is up, crack the door (I put a wooden spoon in the door to hold it open) and leave the meringues in the oven for a few more hours or overnight to finish drying. Stored in an airtight container, these cookies will stay crisp for up to 1 week.

These meringue cookies and 21 other fun brown sugar recipes available in Vol. 12 of Short Stack Editions –the coolest single subject books anywhere! They make perfect hostess gift at only $14each. Order HERE.