Blackberry Clove Meringues

French meringues are a light and airy treat that are very simple to make. I am continuously fascinated by how every day ingredients can be transformed into something so delicate and delicious. This recipe was inspired by my fridge's leftovers. If you want to get creative with add-ins make sure to use mostly dry ingredients, as meringues are meant to be light. Adding additional ingredients such as fruit that is not dehydrated will change the texture of the meringue. 

What you'll need:

3 egg whites

3/4 C sugar

seeds of 1 vanilla bean

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp dried blackberries

Preparation: For unflavored meringues, omit vanilla bean, cloves, and blackberries. This was just a fun combination I dreamed up based on available ingredients. Preheat your oven to 215°F. In a deep bowl with electric mixer and whisk attachment (or hand whisk), whip your egg whites with the cream of tartar, and cloves on low speed until soft peak forms. Add sugar little by little and increase the speed to medium until semi-firm peak forms. Add the rest of the sugar, and dried blackberries and increase speed to high until firm peak forms. Using a rubber scraper, fill a pastry bag (or 1 gallon plastic bag with the end cut) with the filling. On a parchment lined baking sheet, make 2 inch cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake for 60 minutes. Bon appétit!