Meringue Swirls

Have you seen these on the cover of this months Martha Stewart Living?

If you don't recognize them it's because mine are a little flatter (much flatter) than Martha's, but I still think they are pretty.

They started out perfect (note the spoons still on the corner of my parchment), but fell flat because I didn't have cream of tartar at home and tried to use lemon juice as a substitute. Don't forget the cream of tartar.

They kind of look like little seashells.  Brightly colored, delicious sea shells.

I used a touch of orange extract in mine to bump up the orange creamcicle flavor. They are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside and the orange flavoring was a perfect compliment.

When I read the directions I thought mastering the swirl would be difficult but it wasn't at all. I will try these again, but with cream of tartar so they stay fluffy.

Martha also has a really helpful recipe video here.

Meringue Swirls (From Martha Stewart, makes two dozen)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
Large pinch of salt
Large pinch of cream of tartar
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
Gel-paste food coloring, in any color
1 teaspoon orange extract (optional )

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Combine egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Add vanilla bean seeds. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water, and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, about 3 minutes. Add salt and cream of tartar.

2. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue is mostly cooled, about 7 minutes. Beat in zest.

3. Using a small paintbrush, paint 3 vertical stripes of food coloring inside a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (Ateco #805). Fill bag with meringue, and pipe 1 3/4-inch circular shapes (they don't need to be perfect rounds) 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. As you finish piping each shape, apply less pressure to pastry bag, and swirl the tip off in a circular motion.

4. Bake meringues until crisp on the outside but still soft inside, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.