Kanmani's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• Egg whites – from 4 eggs (about 1 cup)
• Granulated sugar – double the amount of egg whites (2 cup approx.)
• Salt – a pinch
• Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
• Food gel color – as req

Procedure:

How to separate egg whites from whole egg?

              In a bowl crack one room temperature egg at a time and use your fingers as your filter and let the egg whites drip through your fingers and take off the yolk alone from it and place it on another bowl. Repeat the same process for the rest of the required eggs.

• Pre heat your oven to 225 degree F and make ready some parchment lined baking trays.
• Clean your electric beater/ mixer and bowls thoroughly without any grease, even you can use a drop of lemon juice to wipe off any grease in it.
• Now add the egg whites with a healthy pinch of salt and starts beating on medium-high speed for about 5 mins.
• Within 5-6 mins you can see the foamy consistency, now you can add the granulated sugar (one tblsp at a time) and allow it to incorporate well.
• Within 8-10 mins you can see the meringue becomes glossier and stiff, by the time add the vanilla essence/ almond essence.

• When you tip the meringue bowl upside down without anything coming out and that is the perfect consistency.

• Divide the meringue equally and add the desired color into each bowl and fold the color gently.
• Fill the meringue batter into the piping bag with desired nozzle tip (round/ star/ flower)
• Pipe the meringues gently on the parchment lined baking tray 1 inch apart.

• Bake it for about 35-40 mins. Once you able to take off your meringues with much ease, then your cookies are ready. Else, pop them into the oven for few more mins.

• Cool completely and keep it in air tight container for about 2 weeks over the counter.

 NOTE/TIP:

• For multi-color meringues, draw the desire color line inside the piping bag using a painting brush and repeat the same process for the remaining color 2 inch apart, fill the batter gently and start piping.