White~Toasted Almond Meringues

It was kind of a "no-brainer" to create meringues for the White treat; first, because I had leftover egg whites from yesterday's cookies and secondly, it's one of the few desserts that can be made which comes closest to a white color (as oppose to cream!) when baked.

Today, which for our neighbors to the north--is Happy Canada Day, I made big, pillowy clouds of meringues and topped then with toasted almond bits, but easily I could have made "Kisses" and put two together with a lemon curd filling to add another dimension.  Both almond and lemon were two of my mother's favorite flavors, chocolate being the other, and honoring her today for all the memories of our picnics was my intention.

A few basic ingredients and techniques and you have perfect Meringues that can be served alone or with a berry compote for your picnic treats.

Toasted Almond Meringues
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 to 3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees and spread the almonds on a small baking pan.  Toast for 5 to 7 minutes until a golden brown.

Lower the oven temperature to 200F-degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.  Chop the almonds when cooled.

In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium until foamy, about 1 minute.  The cream of tartar is important to help "stabilize" the egg whites.

Increase the speed of the mixer to high and beat the eggs whites until they are firm.  In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. 

While the mixer is running, slowly add the sugar mixture to the stiffened egg whites. Add the extract and continue beating on high for 3 to 5 minutes or until the eggs whites have become shiny and glossy.

They should easily hold shape when you life up on the whisk attachment!  You could spoon mounds onto the baking sheets, but I choose to pipe mine, using a pastry bag just for "egg white" recipes and a #808 tip.

Once you've piped a pan of meringues, sprinkle the tops with the chopped almonds.

I used two pans, to allow for spacing and it's very important to bake the meringues immediately after making them!
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, rotating the pans half way through the baking time.  Turn off the oven and let the meringues set for 1 hour (2 hours if you are experiencing a high humidity day.)

Cool the meringues completely to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container.

If you don't like almond, there are so many substitutions you can make.
1.  Sprinkle some of the strawberry powder from the freeze-dried strawberries into the meringue before baking.
2. Add 1 tsp. Vanilla extract and 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped instead of the almond extract.
3.  Espresso powder or cocoa powder can be added--probably 1 tsp. espresso, 2 to 3 T cocoa.

These little meringues are perfect for your dessert table--crunchy shell with a fluffy middle!

The best thing is that this is a dessert that is gluten-free--something that is important to consider when planning a gathering.  Enjoy!