Italian Honey Meringue

Makes enough for 200 meringue cookies or 12 individual Baked Alaska

The recipe can be halved.

2 2/3 cups sugar

9 large egg whites (room temperature)

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2/3 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoon honey (orange blossom is my favorite for this use)

·         Heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment

·         Medium saucepan

·         Candy thermometer

·         2 half sheet pans fitted with parchment paper

1.       If baking meringue, preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.       Bring sugar, honey and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar.  Boil until syrup reaches 238 degrees, or softball stage, on a candy thermometer.

3.       While the sugar syrup is in its early stages, put the egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip the whites on low until foamy, then add cream of tartar. Raise the mixer’s speed to high. Beat just until the whites form stiff, but not dry, peaks.

4.       As it begins to form stiff peaks, with mixer still running, slowly pour in hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over the meringue. Raise speed to high. Beat until cooled, about 10 minutes.

5.       If using as a topping, proceed with dessert recipe.

6.       If baking, pipe or spoon into desired shapes on sheet pan. Then, place in oven.  Turn the oven down to 175 degrees and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Hold the cookies or other piped shapes in the oven for 3 hours to finish drying out.  Store cookies for 5 days in airtight containers.

Note:  Italian Honey Meringue can be held in the refrigerator overnight.  If you do this, it is important to let the meringue warm up and stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, and then to whip again on high speed for only seven seconds.  Italian Honey Meringue can only be re-whipped once.