Description
Delight in these festive Christmas Meringues, light and airy treats shaped like holiday trees and colored a vibrant green. Crisp on the outside with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, they are perfect for holiday parties or gifting during the festive season.
Ingredients
Scale
Meringue
- 4 egg whites, cold
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Green food coloring or green food gel
- Sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Prepare Equipment: Ensure your mixing bowl and beaters are very clean with no traces of oil or butter. If uncertain, wipe them with white vinegar and rinse thoroughly. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicon baking mats. Fit a pastry bag with a large plain or round tip, or prepare a large zip-top bag with one corner cut off if you don’t have a pastry bag.
- Separate Egg Whites: Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks, ensuring no yolk contaminates the whites as this will prevent proper whipping.
- Beat Egg Whites: Using a standing or hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed slightly and slowly add the sugar along with the cream of tartar while mixing continues.
- Whip to Stiff Peaks: Increase the mixer speed to high and continue beating until the egg whites are smooth, glossy, and form stiff peaks when the beater is lifted, approximately 5 more minutes.
- Add Flavor and Color: Mix in the vanilla extract and green food coloring or gel on medium speed until the meringue reaches your desired shade of green.
- Pipe Meringue Trees: Transfer the meringue into the prepared piping bag and pipe tree shapes on the lined baking sheets. Make each tree base about the size of a quarter. Decorate the tops with sprinkles.
- Bake the Meringues: Place the pans in the oven and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, rotating the pans halfway through baking. The meringues are done when they are dry, crisp, release easily from the parchment, and have no golden brown color. If browning occurs before dryness, reduce oven temperature to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cool and Store: Let the meringues cool completely on the baking sheets. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.
Notes
- Do not omit the cream of tartar as it stabilizes the egg whites and helps them hold shape during baking.
- Use fresh cream of tartar to ensure the best results; old cream of tartar may not work effectively.
- Ensure no yolk contaminates the egg whites, as this will prevent them from whipping properly.
- If you do not have a pastry bag, a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off is a suitable alternative for piping.
- If meringues brown before drying out, lower the oven temperature to maintain light color and crispness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 20 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
