We tasted a lot of delicious recipes made with strawberries, but the one that ended up on top showcased the flavor of fresh, ripe strawberries without too much fuss. Judy Huffman says of her winning recipe, “This is an old German family favorite. We eat this to celebrate the beginning of strawberry season. We also make this in July when the peaches ripen.” Try this light, crispy meringue dessert when you can smell the strawberries before even reaching for them.

1 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pint strawberries, sliced

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In mixing bowl, combine egg whites, vinegar and cream of tartar. Beat at high speed until stiff. Add 2 cups sugar slowly with mixer still on high speed.

Gently spoon meringue into two well-buttered glass pie dishes. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes. Turn off oven and let cool in oven.

Whip cream with vanilla and tablespoon of sugar until stiff. Refrigerate whipped cream until serving time.

When ready to serve, carefully remove meringues from pie dishes. Place one meringue on serving plate and spoon over with whipped cream (reserving a little for garnish). Spread half of sliced strawberries on top of cream. Put other meringue on and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a few strawberry slices on top. Serve immediately. Serves 16.

Serving size: 1 slice. Per serving: 168 calories, 2.1 g protein, 5.3 g fat, 28.3 g carbohydrates, trace fiber, 31 mg sodium, 20 mg cholesterol

Judy Huffman, Bluebonnet Electric Coooperative