Description
Delightfully crisp and festive Christmas Meringues shaped like trees, flavored with vanilla and tinted green, perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting.
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
Instructions
- Prepare Equipment: Ensure your mixing bowl and beaters are very clean, free from any oil or butter. If unsure, rub them with white vinegar and rinse thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
- Prepare Piping Bag: Fit a pastry bag with a large plain or round tip. Alternatively, use a large zip-top bag with one corner cut off to pipe the meringue.
- Separate Egg Whites: Carefully crack eggs and separate the whites from the yolks, ensuring no yolk gets mixed in to ensure proper whipping.
- Beat Egg Whites: In a standing mixer bowl or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. Then reduce speed and slowly add sugar while mixing. Add cream of tartar.
- Whip to Stiff Peaks: Increase mixer speed to high and continue mixing until egg whites are smooth, glossy, and form stiff peaks that hold shape when the beater is inverted, approximately 5 minutes more.
- Add Flavor and Color: Mix in 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 to the piping bag and pipe tree shapes onto the prepared baking sheets, making bases about the size of a quarter. Top each tree with sprinkles.
- Bake: Place trays in the oven and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, rotating pans halfway through baking. The meringues are done when they are dry, crisp, release easily from the parchment, and show no golden brown signs. If browning appears before crispness, reduce oven temperature to 175 degrees F.
- Cool and Store: Allow meringues to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.
Notes
- Do not skip cream of tartar as it stabilizes egg whites and helps meringues hold shape during baking.
- Ensure all equipment is free of grease to achieve proper egg white whipping.
- Use fresh cream of tartar for best results.
- If you don’t have a pastry bag, a zip-top bag with a snipped corner works well for piping shapes.
- Reduce oven temperature if meringues start browning before they dry out to avoid discoloration.
- Store meringues in an airtight container to maintain crispness and prevent moisture absorption.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 20 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
