Angel Kisses

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit while you prepare the meringue.

In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they have begun to get white and foamy. With the mixer still running, pour in superfine sugar slowly, in a thin stream. Add lemon extract, cream of tartar and salt.

Raise mixer speed to 8 (if using a KitchenAid) or medium-high, and continue to beat for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes – the egg whites should be shiny and smooth – then raise the mixer speed to 10 (if using a KitchenAid) or the maximum possible speed, and whip for an additional 2 minutes, or until egg whites hold stiff peaks.

Transfer egg whites into a piping bag with a large star tip attached. Pipe the meringues onto a baking sheet covered with a Silpat or parchment paper. (Don’t worry about spreading, because they won’t. Pipe them as close together as you can – this recipe makes a LOT and you want to get as many onto your baking sheet as possible. They won’t be as good in a second batch, so it’s best to try to get them all in the oven at once.)

Place baking sheets into the oven and immediately reduce heat to 200 degrees. Leave in the oven for 2 hours. After the two hours is complete, test one (it won’t be hot, but it should be completely dried out.) If they need more time, leave them in the oven for another 45 minutes or so, with the oven off.