Meringue kisses are pure magic. No, seriously! With nothing but egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and a little splash of vinegar, anyone from the least experienced home cook to a seasoned professional can create these airy, crisp, crunchy, and delightfully chewy cookies that look as impressive as they taste. To take them up a notch, simply add some food coloring to your piping bag to achieve a beautiful swirled appearance that wows.

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and beat on high speed until soft peaks begin to form. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add in sugar, then vanilla and vinegar. Once all ingredients are added, increase speed and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
3. Using a small paintbrush, paint 3 vertical stripes of food coloring inside a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (if you don't have a thin brush, you can add food coloring to the meringue itself and gently fold and swirl the color in instead).
4. Fill bag with meringue, then pipe 1 3/4" swirls about 2" apart on prepared baking sheets. As you finish piping each shape, lighten your pressure on the pastry bag and swirl the tip off in a circular motion.
5. Bake meringues until crisp on the outside but still soft inside, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.