Strawberries and Cream

A few nights ago at dinner my mom and I got into a heated discussion about our favorite desserts. What is a dessert that you'll never say "no" to? Not even if you were full, or sleepy, or grumpy. I had a hard time naming one particular dessert (lots of options don't make the cut when I'm too stuffed), until this baking endeavour reminded me of a long forgotten favorite that I really can never say "no" to. Nothing can replace my love for baking cupcakes, but I think these might come really, really close to being my favorite thing that I've ever baked... that's not a cupcake.

They're meringues. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside meringue cookies.

Inspired by this adorable blog post, I decided to give meringues a go. I love meringues but never thought of making them myself. The recipe I went with is very simple - egg whites, sugar, and a pinch of salt. The hardest thing about the recipe? Waiting impatiently for the cookies to cool overnight in the oven.

After they're completely cooled, top with your favorite syrup, fruit and/or cream right before serving (or crush them up to make this beautiful mess). I went with strawberries and whipped cream, which turned out to not only be awfully cute, but also so, so good. The whipped cream balances out the sweetness of the meringue, and the strawberries add just the right amount of flavor and tartness. I'm so in love with this!

If you're planning to cook Valentines dinner for your sweetheart, this would be perfect as dessert. Or how about getting creative with these as an alternative to the usual Valentines' chocolate, or an alternative to the usual birthday cake? Also, how about throwing a fancy tea party with your girlfriends, serving these? Suddenly I'm feeling the urge to incorporate these cookies into just about everything.

I think it's time to throw a tea party.