• Preheat oven to 250 F.

To make the meringue:

• With a handheld or stand mixer, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff. Add in sugar and vanilla very slowly and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

To make the shells:

• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  
• Draw a circle on the opposite side of the parchment pan in the diameter you wish your shell to be. You can make one large or several individual shells.
• When constructing the meringue base, you can either spread the mixture onto the parchment paper with a large spoon or pipe the mixture using a piping bag and a star tip.
• If using a spoon to construct the meringue, place large spoonfuls of meringue mixture onto your traced pattern, hollowing out the middle.
• If using a piping bag, pipe a circle, smooth with a spoon, and then pipe 2-3 layers of meringue around the edges to form a “wall."
• Place shells in oven and allow to bake for 1 hour. Turn off heat and leave shells in oven for another 30 minutes.
• Fill with whipped cream, custard, and or fruit. You could even use ice cream in place of the whipped cream (or both….)