Heart Shaped Meringue

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. This will take about 2-3 minutes.

4. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat the egg whites. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5-7 minutes.

5. Gently fold in the vanilla extract until well combined.

6. If desired, add a few drops of red food coloring to the meringue for a lovely pink hue. Be careful not to overmix; you want a swirled effect, not a fully mixed red color.

7. Spoon the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe heart shapes onto the prepared baking sheet, starting from the bottom and piping upwards with a gentle curve at the top to form the point of the heart.

8. If using sprinkles, gently sprinkle them on top of the meringue hearts for a touch of decoration.

9. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the meringues for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the cookies are dry to the touch and easily lift off the parchment paper.

10. Once the meringues are done baking, turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool completely for about an hour. This helps them dry out further and become crisp.

11. Once cooled and crisp, carefully remove the heart-shaped meringues from the parchment paper and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.