Cherry Almond Meringues

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
2. 2
   Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. 3
   Chop the dried cherries and almonds into small bits.
4. 4
   Using an electric mixer beat egg whites, cream of tartar, almond extract and salt until the eggs form soft peaks. While continuing to beat, add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat for an additional two or three minutes until sugar granules have dissolved and the eggs form stiff peaks. I found the batter to be quite sticky at this point.
5. 5
   Gently fold in the cherries and almonds into the egg mixture. Make sure you have a nice even distribution.
6. 6
   To make the meringues, you can drop the batter in rounded tablespoons onto the parchment about one inch apart. Alternately, place the batter into a large resealable bag and snip off about 3/8 inch of one tip. Pipe small mounds about the size of a medium walnut.
7. 7
   Place baking sheets into the oven and bake one hour. Rotate the cookie sheets turning front to back. If one sheet is above the other in your oven (not side-to-side) then flip the sheets as well. Continue baking until the meringues are dry, about an additional hour.
8. 8
   Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the meringues to completely cool before removing them from the parchment.
9. 9
   Store in an air tight container for up to one week.