Christmas Tree Meringues

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The perfect edible gift to offer to your Christmas host, family or friends. These cute meringues are super easy to make, they’re airy and sweet with a slight vanilla touch. Sprinkle some sugar decorations all over to be transported into the festive spirit of Christmas.

Are you already in the Christmas mood? I totally am! Except I haven’t had a chance to put up my tree yet. Three weeks ago, I kept thinking “let’s set up the tree earlier this year, so we can enjoy the flashing lights and the Christmas atmosphere for longer”. And today, all of my neighbors, friends, and family are done with their trees, and mine is still sitting in the cellar…

BUT, I have made some super cute meringue Christmas trees for you all! 🙂 These meringues look absolutely adorable when baked, lying next to each other. And despite what may seem like a long recipe (any meringue-based recipe tends to be lengthy due to the number of tips involved), they’re actually super easy to make!

Why use Swiss meringue?

To understand the differences between French, Italian, and Swiss meringue, check out my macarons recipe. When I make simple macarons, I usually use French meringue because it’s the easiest and fastest option.

However, for more complex macaron designs or meringue recipes, you’ll want to go with Italian or Swiss meringue, as they’re more stable.

I prefer using Swiss meringue because it’s the middle ground between French and Italian meringue. It’s more stable than French meringue but much easier than Italian meringue.

Ingredients

• egg whites – I used medium-sized eggs. Make sure they are at room temperature—take them out of the refrigerator at least one hour in advance. Cold egg whites will result in a less stable meringue.
• caster sugar – caster sugar dissolves much faster than regular sugar, making it ideal for meringue.
• vanilla extract – be sure to use vanilla extract, not vanilla essence or vanilla aroma. The latter can taste too artificial and mimic the flavor of extract. Since vanilla is the main flavor in this recipe, we want to avoid any imitation flavors.
• dark green food coloring – I always use gel food coloring with meringue. Powdered food coloring works great too. Just make sure to avoid liquid food coloring, as it can liquefy the meringue too much.
• sugar sprinkle decoration – I used colorful sprinkles to mimic Christmas balls and added some star-shaped decorations to the tops of some trees. You might wonder “they’re made of sugar, won’t they melt in the oven?” Don’t worry—they won’t! Meringue bakes at a very low temperature, so the decorations will stay intact.

How to prepare Xmas tree meringues?

1. Prepare the meringue base – Place the egg whites and caster sugar in a glass or metal bowl. Set over a bain-marie and whisk until the temperature reaches 45°C (113°F).
2. Transfer to a stand mixer or continue with a hand mixer. Beat on low speed for 2-3 minutes until bubbles disappear, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Increase to medium-high speed and keep beating until peaks form. You know the meringue is sufficiently stiff when it agglomerates into the whisk. If peaks are visible but the meringue is still too runny, keep beating.
4. Add vanilla extract and dark green gel food coloring, then mix until the color is uniform.
5. Pipe the meringues – Using a small kitchen brush, brush some green gel food coloring inside the piping bag. Make about 6 or 7 vertical lines of gel food coloring from the bottom to the top inside the piping bag.
6. Transfer the meringue into the piping bag. The food coloring will create a darker shade of green on the outside of the meringues.
7. Lay some baking paper over a macaron template and secure the four sides with weights (or use anything you have to hold it in place). A macaron template is optional, but it helps keep all the trees the same size.
8. Pipe the meringues by holding the piping bag vertically. Start by piping the base, making sure the meringue fills the macaron circle. If not using a template, pipe the base to a size of about 1.2 inches (3 cm). Then, stop piping and slightly lift your piping bag to pipe a smaller circle. Repeat to pipe an even smaller circle for the top. Finish by lifting the nozzle to create the point at the top of the tree.
9. Decorate and bake – Sprinkle some sugar decorations over each meringue.
10. Transfer the baking paper with the meringues onto a baking tray.
11. Place the tray in a preheated oven at 175°F / 80°C and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
12. Once the baking time is up, turn off the oven but leave the meringues inside, with the door closed, for about 2 hours, or until the oven has completely cooled. This will help prevent the meringues from cracking.

Can I increase the oven temperature and reduce the baking time?

No, meringue must be baked at a low temperature. A higher temperature will cause the meringue to crack. This is why they bake for a long time at a low temperature.

Once baked, do NOT open the oven door and let the meringues rest for at least 2 hours or until the oven has completely cooled down. Meringue is very sensitive to temperature changes and could crack if removed from the oven while still warm.

Looking for more Christmas desserts?

• Chocolate Chestnut Cream Yule Log
• Christmas Baileys Tiramisu with Pandoro