What a beautiful Fall day in Connecticut!!! It’s sunny, the air is crisp, 66 degrees, the leaves are starting to turn. Next to Spring, I just love this season!

My mother would always make these and I have been making them for my family for years. I usually make them at Christmas, but it's such a beautiful day that I thought I would make them for you today.

Merenguitos are a delightful, light and crispy morsel. They are sugary, but not too sugary. The best part is that there is no fat and they are made with egg whites, sot they are fat free! This recipe makes about 68 Merenguitos.

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a hand mixer until it starts to get frothy. Add sugar about 1/4 cup at a time while you are still beating. Keep beating for about 5 minutes until merengue is shiny and peaks form.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Transfer merengue into a piping bag with a large star tip about 3/4 full. Tighten the top of the bag. Pipe merengue star onto cookie sheets in about 1 1/2 to 2 inch circles.. As you pipe, press down a bit to flatten them slightly. Don’t be afraid to pipe them close but without touching. They will not spread like other cookies.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour, turn oven OFF and DO NO OPEN OVEN. I know it’s tempting….I am being tempted right now, but DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN, THEY NEED TO DRY IN THE OVEN, WITH THE DOOR CLOSED! Let them sit in oven for 30 minutes. NOW YOU CAN OPEN THE OVEN! Remove from oven, leave on cookie sheets and let them cool for about another 30 minutes at room temperature. DON’T TRY THEM YET, LET THEM SIT FOR 30 MINUTES! BE GOOD! I’m not yelling at you, I’m yelling at me, I want to try them, they are soooo good!

After they have cooled, peel them from parchment paper and place on serving platter…NOW YOU CAN TRY THEM! Good huh???

Serve with coffee or just eat them!!!

If you have any left, I know they are good, but YOU be good and don’t eat them all in one shot, store in a covered glass jar at room temperature.

Let me know how they come out for you!