Meringue Snowflakes!

I saw these in a magazine and thought it was a really neat idea for the holidays. I should first say that I don't really love meringue. My mom is always embarassed because I always request that she leave meringue off of all of her pies and she thinks it looks silly--I try to explain to her that it tastes so much better that way! I'm sure many of you would disagree. However, even though I don't love meringue, I love all things crafty, original and Christmas-y. Also, I was intrigued to see a new way to use meringue. What a neat holiday treat to bring to someone's house! It also looks pretty impressive (if you can pull it off).

The best thing is that you can make all sorts of designs --you don't have to stick to the snowflake. The meringue can be piped into snowmen, wreaths, Christmas trees, or just about any shape you like. I read that some people even use them as cake decorations! I was thinking it might be neat to put them on cupcakes.

I am going to try to make them this weekend. I will let you know the results.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon flavored extract, such as lemon, peppermint, orange, or almond
2 tablespoons colored sugar or edible glitter

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 200°. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, about 3 minutes. Set the mixer speed to high and beat another 3 minutes or so until the eggs whites are fluffy.

2. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes. Then beat in the extract.

3. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a pencil to draw snowflake patterns on the paper. The meringues will not spread, so they can be drawn fairly close together. Turn the papers printed-side down and stick them to the baking sheets by dabbing a little meringue in each corner.

4. Spoon the meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip and pipe it, erring on the thick side so the snowflakes will be less fragile, onto the paper-lined sheets following the patterns. Sprinkle the meringues with colored sugar or edible glitter.

5. Bake the snowflakes until dry but not browned, about 1 hour. Carefully slide the parchment paper from the baking sheets to wire racks and let the meringues cool completely.

6. Using scissors, cut the paper between the meringues to separate them. Then gently peel away the paper from each one, keeping one hand under the snowflake to support the edges. The meringues will stay crisp for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container at room temperature (do not refrigerate them). Makes about 20.

Tip: For the best results, avoid making them on a humid day.