Lemon Meringue Cookies

Our most recent dinner club on our street was Puerto Rican and boy was it good.  I'm not sure I've ever had an entire Puerto Rican dinner before but I will again for sure.  In my feeble attempts to find something to make I stumbled on this recipe and it looked like a fun one to try.  I know that there isn't usually a lot involved when making meringue cookies so this seemed like a good option; that and I was limited on time. 

Meringue is basically egg whites and sugar whipped up with a couple other ingredients until they it turns glossy and beautiful.  Then you dollop some onto a cookie sheet and bake them low and slow until they dry out on the outside and stay chewy on the inside. 

These cookies have the nice little addition of lemon zest which I thought would pair nicely with the main courses that were being offered.

There are some nice benefits to Meringue's.  I've listed them here for your convenience.

1. There are only 5 ingredients
2. They are gluten free
3. As cookies go, they are lower in fat then most.
4. Versatile, you can add chocolate chips or other yummies instead of lemon zest if you want.
5. Easy
6. If left plain they follow almost any meal.
Meringues
Found at "allrecipes.com" from Puerto Rico

4 egg whites
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer using the whisk attachment; whip the egg whites, salt and cream of tarter until have become white and fluffy with stiff peaks.  Slowly add the sugar while whisking and watch the mixture turn nice and glossy.  Turn off the mixer and carefully fold in the lemon zest. 

Take a medium cookie scoop or a tablespoon and dollop the mixture on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  These cookies won't expand at all so you can get them fairly close to one another, like an inch apart.

Cook for 35 minutes, let cool slightly before moving to a cooling rack.