Move your top oven rack to the middle. The second oven rack can go right below the first as long as you can fit a cookie sheet between them.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (94 degrees Celsius).

Make a sugar and lavender mixture by putting the 1/2 cup of sugar and dried lavender into the food processor. Grind until you get a fine powder. Set aside.

Using a hand mixer or electric mixer (like my KitchenAid), beat egg whites until soft peaks begin to form on medium speed in a large bowl.

Add the cream of tarter to the egg whites and sugar on medium high speed until thick and white stiff peaks form.

Continue to whisk, slowly add the sugar lavender mix one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat the eggs on medium-high until sugar and egg whites are combined and peaks form.

Turn your mixer to low and add in the lemon zest (or extract) and vanilla extract until just combined. Don’t over beat!

Fill a piping bag, using a large star tip. A small opening will get clogged with the zest.

Pipe the meringue kisses out onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet, making them about the size of a nickel. Space them about an inch apart, but don’t worry too much. Meringues don’t really spread.

Bake the meringues for 70 minutes. Do NOT open the oven. Once done, leave the mini meringues in the oven for a minimum of two hours. This will give you a nice, crunchy mini meringue to munch on.

Store in an airtight container. They should last two weeks… if you can resist eating them all in one go. These mini meringues are as addictive and tiny as eating popcorn while watching your favorite movie set in Paris.