French meringue cookies are sweet, crisp, light and fluffy little clouds! You only need 5 ingredients, but it does require some skill - this post is full of tips for making the best meringue possible.
Preheat oven to 200°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a very clean and dry stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or large bowl with a handheld mixer), combine egg whites, cream of tartar and salt, and whip on medium-high speed until combined and frothy and form soft peaks - about 30 to 60 seconds.
4 egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar*, pinch of kosher salt
With the mixer running, add sugar 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing after each addition until the sugar has fully dissolved.
1 cup granulated sugar
Continue to mix until the meringue holds stuff peaks and is glossy in appearance. This can take up to 10 minutes, so be patient!
Add vanilla extract and beat just to combine (about 10 seconds).
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Transfer the meringue mixture to a clean piping bag fitted with a pastry tip (I like to use a French Star tip) and pipe into desired shape onto prepared baking sheets about 1" apart. They won't spread, but you still want to give them a little room.
Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Now turn off the oven - but don't open the door! Let them rest in the oven for another 1 hour while the oven naturally cools down.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Enjoy!
Notes
Read all the tips in the blog post body for the best results!*Don't have cream of tartar? Substitute 2 teaspoons lemon juice.Storage: Meringue cookies can be stores in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks.Freezing: If you want to freeze them, wait until they've completely cooled and then transfer them to a freezer-friendly hard-sided container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you're ready to eat them, let them come to room temperature in the container.