Spiced Almond Meringues

Five ingredients. One bowl. Thirty minutes start to finish. These almond meringues are about as stripped-down as baking gets, and that simplicity is exactly what makes them good.

The base is a single egg white beaten with cream of tartar until it holds stiff peaks. Sugar and ground cinnamon get added gradually during the whipping, not dumped in all at once, which keeps the meringue stable and glossy. Ground almonds folded in at the end give each cookie a chewy center inside that crisp shell.

These spread more than you’d expect, so that two-inch spacing matters. Drop them by level tablespoons, not heaping, or you’ll end up with one giant cookie instead of a dozen. You’re looking for a pale beige color when they come out, not white and not golden brown.

Pro Tips

• Make sure your bowl and beaters are completely grease-free before whipping the egg white. Even a trace of fat prevents stiff peaks.
• The cream of tartar stabilizes the meringue so it doesn’t deflate when you fold in the almonds. Don’t skip it.
• Fold the ground almonds gently with a rubber spatula. Stirring knocks the air out and gives you flat, dense cookies.
• Let them cool completely on the baking sheet before removing. Warm meringues are fragile and crack easily.

Variations

• Replace cinnamon with cardamom for a Scandinavian-style almond cookie.
• Fold in a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips after the almonds for a richer bite.
• Use hazelnut meal instead of ground almonds for a nuttier, more robust flavor.