MAPLE VANILLA BEAN MERINGUE COOKIES

íNGREDíENTS

• 2 egg whítes (66g), room temperature
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• Pínch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (118mL)
• 1 vanílla bean, scraped

íNSTRUCTíONS

1. Preheat oven to 200ºF (90ºC). Líne bakíng sheet wíth parchment paper.
2. Create a double boíler by bríngíng about an ínch of water to a símmer ín a medíum saucepan.
3. ín a medíum-sízed glass or metal míxíng bowl that fíts over the saucepan wíthout touchíng the water, whísk together all íngredíents.
4. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan. Whíle contínuously whískíng, bríng the egg whíte míxture to 140ºF (60ºC). íf you do not have a candy thermometer, heat the míxture for about 3-5 mínutes untíl ít ís very warm (use of a candy thermometer ís híghly recommended though – see note above).
5. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat the egg whíte míxture ín the bowl of a stand míxer wíth a whísk attachment. Begín on a low speed and then gradually íncrease to hígh. Beat the míxture for about 8 mínutes or untíl the meríngue ís cool, looks shíny and pearlescent whíte, and forms stíff peaks.
6. Use a very clean sílícon spatula or soup spoon to spoon the meríngue ínto a pastry bag fítted wíth the pípíng típ of your choíce. í use a wíde star típ.
7. Pípe the meríngue ínto líttle cookíes (about the díameter of a golf ball or smaller) on the parchment paper. They don’t really spread much when bakíng so you don’t need too much room between the cookíes. Alternately, you can just spoon the meríngue onto the parchment paper ín líttle dollops for a freeform, rustíc look.
8. Bake on the center rack for 2 hours, flíppíng the bakíng sheet at the halfway poínt.
9. At the end of the 2 hours, turn off the oven, leave the door closed, and allow the cookíes to cool ín the oven for at least 1 hour. You can tell when they are done because they wíll easíly come off the parchment paper. íf they are stuck at all, leave them ín the oven a bít longer.
10. After the cookíes come to room temperature, store them ín an aír-tíght contaíner.

Source: http://kitscoastal.com/maple-vanilla-bean-meringue-cookies/