Description
Delightfully crisp and festive Christmas Tree Meringues made with whipped egg whites, sugar, and a touch of vanilla, colored green and decorated with sprinkles for a perfect holiday treat. These light, airy meringues are baked low and slow until dry and crisp, making them an impressive yet simple dessert for the Christmas season.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites (at room temperature)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring
- Sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 225°F (110°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and facilitate easy removal of meringues.
- Whisk Egg Whites: In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy, which should take about 2 minutes. This prepares the egg whites for stable volume build-up.
- Add Cream of Tartar and Whisk to Soft Peaks: Add the cream of tartar to the foamy egg whites and continue whisking until soft peaks form. This stabilizes the egg whites further.
- Whisk in Sugar to Stiff Peaks: Increase your mixer speed to high and gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue whisking for a total of 8-10 minutes until stiff and glossy peaks form, indicating a perfect meringue texture.
- Fold in Flavor and Color: Gently fold in the vanilla extract and green gel food coloring with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to deflate your meringue mixture.
- Pipe the Meringues: Transfer the meringue mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe Christmas tree shapes by starting with a wide base and spiraling upward with decreasing circles to form a pointed top.
- Bake to Dry: Bake the piped meringues for 1 hour and 30 minutes without opening the oven door to ensure they dry out without cracking or browning.
- Cool Down: Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly open, and allow the meringues to cool completely inside for 30 minutes. This slow cooling prevents cracking and helps maintain their crisp texture.
- Decorate: Once cooled, add sprinkles for festive decoration as desired, and serve or store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature for better volume when whisking.
- Do not open the oven door during baking to avoid cracking or collapsing the meringues.
- Use gel food coloring to avoid adding extra liquid which can affect the texture.
- Store meringues in an airtight container to keep them crisp.
- You can customize decorations with edible glitter or colored sugar instead of sprinkles.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Christmas meringues, holiday dessert, festive meringue recipe, Christmas tree treats, egg white meringues
