Christmas Tree Meringues
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.
Yield: 28 Christmas trees
Calories: 15kcal
Equipment
- Piping bag + nozzle (dented nozzle of 1 cm / 0.4 inch diameter)
Ingredients
- 65 g room temperature egg whites | 2 medium-sized egg whites
- 100 g caster sugar
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract (Note 1)
- dark green gel food coloring
- sugar sprinkle decoration
Instructions
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Add vanilla extract and dark green gel food coloring, then mix until the color is uniform (Note 2).
- 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.
- Transfer the meringue into the piping bag. The food coloring will create a darker shade of green on the outside of the meringues.
- 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.
- 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.
- Decorate and bake - Sprinkle some sugar decorations over each meringue.
- Transfer the baking paper with the meringues onto a baking tray.
- Place the tray in a preheated oven at 175°F / 80°C and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- 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.
Notes
- Vanilla extract: be sure to use pure vanilla extract. Do not substitute with vanilla aroma, flavor, or essence, as these are imitation flavors that can be unpleasant as the main flavor in the meringue.
- Food coloring: the amount of gel food coloring required may vary depending on the brand and type of food coloring. Use gel food coloring only. Add as much as needed to achieve the desired shade of green.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 meringue | Calories: 15kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 0.2mg | Iron: 0.004mg
