Cardamom Rose Meringues

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

3. Place sugar, water, rose extract, cardamom, salt, and food coloring in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer the mixture for a minute or two, stirring constantly, and very slowly pour the syrup in a thin stream into the egg whites, beating constantly with electric mixer on high speed. Beat until the syrup is incorporated and the meringue is stiff and shiny.

4. Drop by spoonfuls or pipe into rosettes with a star tip onto the prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until the meringues are hard, 1 to 1 1/2 hours; turn off the oven, and allow them to cool inside the oven to finish baking the insides.

Tips

Cook's Notes

Don't make meringues on days with high humidity, or they won't dry right and might collapse.

If using a very liquidy food coloring, reduce the water a little bit -- too much water in the meringues will cause them to leak while baking and form sugary pools at the base.

To substitute rosewater for extract, 1 tablespoon. of rosewater is equal to 1 teaspoon extract. Reduce the water in the recipe if using rosewater.