Description
These festive Meringue Christmas Trees are light, airy, and perfect for holiday celebrations. Made with simple ingredients like egg whites and sugar, and colored with green gel food coloring, they are piped into charming tree shapes and decorated with sprinkles for a delightful seasonal treat. Baked at a low temperature to achieve crisp exteriors and soft interiors, these meringues are a fun and elegant addition to any holiday dessert table.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 100 g granulated sugar
- Green gel food colouring, a few drops
- Sprinkles, for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and set aside.
- Whip Egg Whites and Cream of Tartar: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until the mixture becomes frothy and resembles cappuccino foam.
- Incorporate Sugar Gradually: Add the granulated sugar one spoonful at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue until all sugar is incorporated and the mixture forms stiff peaks, ensuring the meringue is glossy and holds its shape firmly.
- Add Food Coloring: Introduce a few drops of green gel food colouring into the meringue and mix until the color is evenly distributed and vibrant.
- Pipe Meringue Trees: Transfer the colored meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe three dollops of meringue stacked atop one another on the parchment paper, starting with the largest dollop on the bottom and decreasing size as you go up to form a tree shape. Decorate each tree with sprinkles as desired.
- Bake and Dry Meringues: Bake the piped meringues for 45-50 minutes, or until the sides are dry and the bottoms lift cleanly from the parchment paper. This slow baking dries the meringue without browning.
- Cool Meringues: Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool completely overnight to set properly. Alternatively, you can slightly crack open the oven door and let the meringues cool inside for about 1 hour. Once cool, remove and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature for better volume when whipping.
- Adding sugar gradually helps achieve a glossy and stable meringue.
- The low temperature baking is crucial to dry out the meringue without browning or burning.
- Cooling meringues slowly inside the oven prevents cracking.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant color without affecting the texture.
- Store meringues in an airtight container away from moisture to keep them crisp.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meringue
- Calories: 15 kcal
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.7 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
