1 c. (250 ml) powdered sugar
4 lg. egg whites (with no trace of yolk)
1/2 tsp. (2 ml) vanilla
Cocoa for dusting

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Butter and flour cookie sheets; set aside. Sift sugar into stainless steel bowl. Place over saucepan half-filled with hot water over low heat.

Add egg whites and vanilla to bowl. With water simmering, begin beating mixture at low speed. When it starts to take shape, increase speed to medium and continue beating steadily.

Just before meringue starts to peak, increase speed to high and continue beating. Test meringue by turning bowl upside-down. Egg whites should remain firmly in place. Remove bowl from saucepan and continue to beat at high speed until meringue is cold.

Spoon some of meringue into pastry bag fitted with plain nozzle. Squeeze out different shapes on to cookie sheets. Use soup spoons to drop lumps of meringue on some cookies, which will give uneven textures. Place cookie sheets in oven and bake 3 hours. Remove to cool on counter and sprinkle with cocoa.