Baked Meringues with Fresh Berries and Cream

Makes about 16 meringues

3   large egg whites
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
    sweetened whipped cream,
    whipped to soft peaks, for serving
    fresh berries, for serving

Nutritional information per filled meringue
(2 tablespoons of whipped cream and
1 tablespoon of berries): Calories 60 (21% from fat) • carb. 11g • pro. 1g fat 1g • sat. fat 1g • chol. 4mg • sod. 19mg calc. 8mg • fiber 0g

1. Preheat oven to 200°F with the rack in
the middle position. Line a rimmed baking
sheet with parchment paper; reserve.
2. Put the egg whites in a large, non-plastic,
mixing bowl. Using the whisk, start
mixing on Speeds 1 to 2 and beat until
frothy, about 30 to 60 seconds. Add the
lemon juice, gradually increase to Speed
5 and whip until soft peaks form.
3. With the mixer running still on Speed 5,
very gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time,
add the sugar to the whipping egg whites
(do not rush this process or the meringue
will not be as stable and may not whip to
the necessary stiffness. Be patient!). Once
all the sugar has been added, increase
to Speed 7 and continue mixing until the
meringue holds stiff peaks, about 5 to 8
minutes in total. Add the vanilla extract
and mix to combine.
4. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag
fitted with a star tip (any size or shape
of star will work). First apply a bit of the
meringue to a few spots on the underside
of the parchment so that it sticks to the
pan. Pipe the meringues, making about a
2- to 3-inch round, and then finishing the
spiral shape in the center. Leave about 2
inches between each meringue. You may
need two pans to accommodate the
full recipe.
5. Transfer the meringues to the preheated
oven and bake until light, crisp and stiff,
but where the meringues have picked up
no color. This should take about 1 hour,
but this is a rough estimate since it is
based on the oven being used and the
humidity of the room (it could take as little
as 45 minutes, or as long as 2 hours).
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
on a wire rack. Once completely cooled,
meringues can be stored in a sealed
container at room temperature for up to
five days.
7. When ready to serve, fill with the
sweetened whipped cream and top with
the mixed berries.