These meringues melt in the mouth, with just enough sweetness to make it worth it!

I love the texture of meringues. Airy, dry, and sweet–what can go wrong? Plus, mastering the deceptively difficult meringue allows you to work on more complex bakes like macarons, topped pies, and so many others.

The key to this recipe is whipping the egg whites. They need to me whipped just the right amount, not too much and not too little. The more times you practice this cookie, the better sense you’ll have about how much it needs to be whipped.

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Beat egg whites in an electric mixer on medium-high until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Raise to electric mixer speed to high and continue whipping the egg whites until it forms soft peaks. Slowly add granulated sugar, and continue whipping until the mixture is shiny and forms stiff peaks. (At this point, you should be able to hold the bowl upside-down over your head without it moving!)
3. Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into the egg white mixture. GENTLY fold the dry ingredients into the eggs. Be careful not to deflate the eggs. Transfer to a piping bag (or Ziploc with the corner cut) and pipe meringues onto the baking sheets.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Then turn off the oven and let the meringues begin to cool in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the meringues from the oven, and move onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.