…cobbled together from, like, eight different recipes for meringue cookies…
3 egg whites
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 c. pureed strawberries
1 tsp. vanilla
Separate cold eggs and bring whites to room temperature. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Run granulated sugar through a food processor until fine and powdery, or use superfine sugar. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until the whites hold soft peaks. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each addition of sugar dissolve completely until adding more. Continue to beat eggs until stiff but not dry. A pinch of mixture between the fingers should feel smooth, not grainy. Add vanilla, and then carefully fold in strawberries. Fill a pastry bag with the egg whites, and pipe small kisses onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the humidity in the air. The meringues are finished baking when they pull easily from the parchment and are almost entirely dry when broken in half. Leave the cookies to dry in the oven for another couple hours or overnight. Store in an airtight container.