Vanilla Bean Meringue

If you have some extra egg whites lying around, a good way to use them is in this vanilla bean meringue.  Light, fluffy, sweet meringue makes a nice contrast to rich or tart fillings in pies and tarts, such as the filling in my Meyer Lemon Meringue Tart. 

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ - ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
•  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a metal mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water.  While continuing to whisk, heat until the mixture reaches 140˚F.  Dry the bottom of your mixing bowl and place in your stand mixer. 

Beat the mixture on medium-high speed.  Once the mixture is white and fluffy, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract. 

Continue beating the meringue, until stiff peaks form.  The meringue should be able to hold a point when the whisk attachment is pulled from the mixture in the bowl.