Christmas Tree Meringue Recipe

These Christmas Tree Meringues are a fun and festive treat sure to get you into the holiday spirit, but they are also perfect any time of year. Watch out, though, because they are light and airy and will melt in your mouth, so you’ll be able to eat many more than you’d expect. If you’re not in the mood for a Christmas tree, you can leave out the dye to turn them into snowmen or concoct something else of your own creation instead.

Yield: about 35 meringues

Ingredients:

2 egg whites (save the yolks for another occasion; they should be good for a few days in the refrigerator)

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract (or any other flavor you like)

¼ tsp cream of tartar (this can be substituted with a ½ tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar)

½ tsp salt

½ cup powdered sugar 

Sprinkles (for decoration)

Green foodcoloring (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200ºF.
2. With the whisk attachment of your stand or hand mixer, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form (very foamy, but unable to stand on their own).
3. Add salt and vanilla extract.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar about one tablespoon at a time.
5. Add a few drops of food coloring until you get your desired color. Whisk until dye is incorporated and stiff peaks form (egg should stand up when you lift out the beaters).
6. Using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, pipe trees about two inches in diameter by two inches high onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They will not expand, so feel free to pipe them as close together as you want, so long as they aren’t touching.
7. Add sprinkles on top if you want; you can also dust with powdered sugar to look like snow.
8. Bake for 2 hours, then turn off the oven and leave them in for another hour.
9. Enjoy! 

Meringues with stiff peaks: