Description
These Christmas Meringue Cookies are light, airy, and sweet treats perfect for holiday celebrations. With a festive touch of green food coloring, gold star sprinkles, and rainbow non-pareils, these delicate cookies add a charming crunch to your dessert table. Baked low and slow, they achieve a crisp exterior with a melt-in-your-mouth texture inside.
Ingredients
Scale
Meringue Base
- 4 egg whites (room temperature)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorations
- Green food coloring (as needed for desired color)
- Gold star sprinkles (to garnish)
- Rainbow non-pareils (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside to prepare for piping the meringue.
- Whip egg whites with cream of tartar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 4 room temperature egg whites and ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar. Mix on medium speed until the mixture looks bubbly and frothy, which helps stabilize the egg whites for better meringue volume.
- Add sugar gradually: Slowly add about half of the 1 cup sugar to the egg whites while continuing to whip on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes. This allows the sugar to begin dissolving and the meringue to build structure.
- Incorporate remaining sugar and vanilla: Add the remaining sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue whipping on medium speed for another 2 minutes, ensuring the sugar is well combined and the mixture thickens.
- Whip to stiff peaks: Increase the mixer speed to high and whip the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes more. Be careful not to overwhip to avoid deflation of the meringue.
- Add color and pipe: Gently fold in green food coloring to achieve the desired festive shade. Transfer the meringue mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip for shaping.
- Pipe meringue shapes: Pipe meringue into festive shapes or small stars onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Sprinkle gold star sprinkles and rainbow non-pareils on top for decoration while the meringue is still soft.
- Bake low and slow: Bake in the preheated oven at 200°F (93°C) for approximately 2 hours. This slow baking dries out the meringues, making them crisp without browning.
- Cool and store: Once baked, turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool completely. Once cooled, store in an airtight container to maintain their crisp texture.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature for better volume when whipping.
- Do not open the oven door during baking to prevent cracking the meringues.
- You can flavor the meringues with other extracts like almond or peppermint for variety.
- Use superfine sugar if available for a smoother meringue texture.
- Decorate immediately after piping to ensure sprinkles stick before the meringue sets.
