Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Wilton Meringue Powder
• 1/4 c. Cold Water
• 1/3 c. White Sugar
• 1/8 tsp. White Vanilla
• 2 tbsp. THRIVE Raspberries FD- or Blueberries FD, Cranberries FD, etc.

Directions

1. Start with 2 Tablespoons of dry freeze dried fruit, and blend it to a powder. Sift out any seeds or grainy bits. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the meringue powder, water and 3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
3. Whip at high speed for 5 minutes.
4. Gradually add the rest of the sugar as you whip at high speed for another 5 minutes (until meringue is glossy, stiff, and there are no grains of sugar visible).
5. Add in vanilla and prepared fruit powder (the fruit makes it heavier, so do it right at the end and try to work fast to get them in the oven before too much volume is lost).
6. Drop or pipe out cookies onto parchment-paper-lined trays.
7. For a crisp meringue cookie that melts in your mouth, bake at 225 degrees for up to two hours.
8. Taking meringues directly from the heat of the oven to the cool kitchen air can cause cracking. To prevent this, I bake for 1 1/2 hours, then turn the oven off and leave them in for 15 minutes, then crack the oven door and leave them in for a final 15 minutes.
9. Optional: You can pipe the cookies out into a nest shape, and after baking and cooling fill them with a combination of fruit and whipped cream, or your favorite pie filling.