Title: Apricot almond meringue cookies
 Categories: Cookies
      Yield: 48 Servings
 
      4 lg Egg whites; at room
           -temperature
      1 pn Salt; or cream of tartar
    3/4 c  Sugar; superfine
      1 ts Vanilla extract
      4 oz Dried apricots; finely diced
    1/4 c  Slivered almonds; lightly
           -toasted
 
  Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets or,
  if you prefer, grease parchment or waxed paper spread on cookie
  sheets.
  
  In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt or cream of tartar
  until the whites make soft peaks. To make a tender meringue,
  gradually add all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar as you continue to
  beat. Check to see if the sugar has dissolved by pinching the
  meringue. When you can no longer feel the crystals, fold in the
  remaining sugar, then the vanilla extract, and finally the apricots
  and almonds.
  
  Drop neat spoonfuls of the meringue batter onto the cookie sheets;
  give them attractive peaks, as they will not spread or change their
  shape. Bake for 1hour without opening the door. Turn off the oven and
  keep them in the unopened oven for at least another hour or as long
  as overnight. Remove the cookies with a spatula. Store them in
  airtight tins or, closed tightly in a plastic bag, in the freezer,
  where they will keep indefinitely.
  
  NOTES : These light, tender meringue cookies are a good way to use up
  extra egg whites. Recipe