Colorful French Meringue Cookies

Preheat your oven to 100°C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a very clean, dry bowl, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form and the mixture is foamy.

Gradually add the granulated sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat on high speed. Continue beating until the meringue is very thick, glossy, and forms stiff peaks. The sugar should be completely dissolved.

Gently fold in the vanilla extract.

Divide the meringue into separate bowls, one for each color you wish to use. Add a tiny amount of gel food coloring to each bowl and gently fold until the color is evenly distributed. Be careful not to overmix.

Transfer the colored meringues into separate piping bags fitted with your desired nozzle (a star tip works beautifully). Pipe small, decorative cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 75-90 minutes, or until the meringues are completely dry and can be easily lifted from the parchment paper. They should remain white and crisp.

Turn off the oven, leave the oven door slightly ajar, and let the meringues cool completely inside the oven for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. This helps prevent cracking.