Celeste'S Strawberry Sighs Or Suspiros - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar (Splenda might work just as well and save calories. If you make it this way, please let me know if it)
9 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites, beaten stiff
12 small firm but ripe strawberries, rinsed, stemmed and dried well

Preparation

Combine sugar, water, lemon peel and juice, and salt in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until syrup reaches soft ball stage (234 degrees). Remove fro heat.
Beating constantly, pour syrup in egg whites.
Continue beating until meringue is cool and very thick.
For each sighs, spoon a heaping tablespoons of meringue onto a buttered baking sheet.
Top with a strawberry and spoon on just enough more meringue to completely cover and seal in the berry.
Bake in hot oven 450 degrees for about 3 minutes or until golden.
Remove to wire rack to cool.