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1. Heat oven to 100 deg C. Line two baking trays with nonstick baking paper. Place egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a clean, dry bowl and whisk until soft peaks of mixture hold their shape.
2.  Add vanilla and a tablespoonful of the measured sugar. Whisk until stiff, then slowly add remaining sugar, a tablespoonful at a time, while whisking continuously. Continue whisking for two minutes more until the sugar is dissolved and incorporated and the mixture is glossy.
3. Spoon or pipe the mixture into moundson prepared trays. Bake for 1½ hours until meringues are hard and dry. Remove to cool.
4. Store hard meringues in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Sandwich meringues together with whipped cream to serve.

Tip: Egg whites need to be at room temperature (as opposed to fridge-cold); you will get a greater whipped volume from warmer egg whites.

Tip: It is important to whisk egg whites in a clean, dry bowl as any traces of grease can make the egg whites harder to whip and decrease volume. Use a glass or metal bowl to achieve maximum volume.

Tip: Whipped egg whites can begin to collapse soon after beating, so add the sugar as soon as the egg whites have formed soft peaks.

Tip: To test if the sugar is properly dissolved, rub a bit of the beaten meringue mixture between your fingers. It should feel smooth. If it is grainy, then continue beating until the sugar is dissolved.

Tip: To make perfectly round meringues, trace circles of the desired size on to the baking paper. Pipe or spoon the meringue inside the circles, allowing room for the meringues to expand a little during cooking.

Tip: Make sure the meringues are cold before filling, and fill just before serving, or they will lose their crispness.