Meringue Update: Fail!

So 12 hours later, I checked on the meringues.  Still bendy and very tacky.  I decided to inch the oven temperature up by 10 degrees or so, and shut the oven door to speed things up a little, while we trotted off with the Frog for a lovely breakfast one suburb away.  Couple of hours later, still no noticeable change.  No matter, I'm patient.  I spent the day alternately working, and playing with the Frog in the garden.

Eventually after nearly 24 hours of desiccation, Hubs says he needs to use the oven, so I tell him to go ahead and turn the oven up - and just take the meringues out before they brown. He said that he'd just take one out now and see how it was (he'd been bothering me all day to try one).  10 minutes later he was back, with the one he'd snatched - and lo, it was crunchy!  He'd done what I had completely omitted to do, and left it to cool a few minutes on the counter.  *sigh*   By the time he went back to check on the remainder, they had all turned a nice dark beige.  And now looked exactly like little dog presents.  If you were being kind, you could say that they tasted like caramel.  Or if you were accurate: burnt sugar.

Oh well, at least they were all crunchy!