Easy 1-2-3 Meringue

Put it together just before your evening gets busy, pop it into the oven and forget about it! It will be ready in approximately 40-50 minutes - just before bedtime for tomorrows bake sale. Cornstarch and vinegar give the meringue a marshmallow like center. If they are unavailable, omit them. Your meringue will still be delicious and crispy

yield: 20 ¼ cup scoops

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon finely grated citrus zest (lemon, lime or orange)

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Optional; a few drops of food coloring, or colored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a bowl of a stand mixer place egg whites and start whipping on low speed. After 2 minutes increase speed to medium and once whites begin to look frothy, slowly add sugar. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff and glossy (the meringue should be able to hold itself on the whip). This will take 3-4 minutes. Remove bowl from stand mixer and sprinkle the extract or zest, vinegar and cornstarch over the meringue (and food coloring if desired).

Gently fold in with a rubber spatula until incorporated being careful not to over mix. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and grease with pan spray. With a standard ice cream scoop, scoop meringues onto baking sheet 1 inch apart. If using sprinkles, top each meringue with about ¼ teaspoon. Place in the oven. Bake 40-50 minutes until meringues are set and crisp. Let cool. Remove from baking tray with a spatula and store in an airtight container