As Valentine’s Day approaches, time to find the perfect gift for loved ones is running out. These raspberry meringues are the perfect treat to make as a last-minute gift, and they will definitely impress whoever receives them.

Although meringues may seem complicated, they are a simple recipe that only requires a few ingredients. Meringues are a light and airy dessert typically made from whipped egg whites and sugar, but the recipe can be elevated by adding different extracts or decorations.

To make these raspberry meringues you will need:

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites (room temperature)
• ¼  tsp cream of tartar
• ⅔  cup sugar
• 1 ½ tsp raspberry extract
• Red food coloring (optional)
• Heart-shaped sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Use an electric mixer to whip egg whites, raspberry extract and cream of tartar at medium speed until foamy. If your mixer has different attachments, the whisk attachment works best.
3. Slowly add in sugar while mixing at a high speed. Mix until stiff, glossy peaks are formed.  
4. Fold in food coloring until it reaches your color of choice.
5. Put meringue mixture into a piping bag with tip of choice, and pipe cookies about two inches in diameter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Add sprinkles to decorate.
6. Bake on the top rack for 40-45 minutes.
7. Turn off the oven and allow meringues to sit in oven for one hour.
8. Take out of oven and allow to cool.

Tips:

• Make sure to stop beating the egg whites once they reach stiff peaks. Meringues will not bake correctly if the mixture is over-whisked.
• Do not remove meringues after baking. Allow to cool in oven for one hour. Removing immediately after baking can cause the cookies to deflate.
• Store in a dry, air-tight container.

This recipe was adapted from tasteofhome.com.