Making meringue cookies is easier than you might think. All you need are 4 simple ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep time. Grab your standing mixer and some sugar, salt, egg whites, and cream of tartar.
Preheat oven to 225ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking sheet.
Separate egg whites, being very careful not to get any shell or yolk into the bowl. (make sure the egg whites are room temperature... let sit out on counter for at least 30 minutes)
Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat egg whites on low speed. Add the cream of tartar, a pinch of salt, and continue to beat on medium speed until mixture is foamy. (Note: I used my Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment)
Turn the mixer to high speed and with the mixer running, add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until sugar is dissolved and mixture looks thick and shiny and still peaks form (see photo above - it will take approx 5-7 min).
Spoon meringue into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe the meringue in a mounding swirl onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing approximately 2 inches apart. (FYI - the meringue cookies should not spread when baking) If you don’t have a pipping bag, you can use a spoon to make mounds of meringue on the baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, then turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. Let cookies stand in oven for 1 -2 hours until completely cooled.