Description
Delight in festive Meringue Wreath Cookies featuring fluffy, colorful piped meringues shaped into wreaths with green flower petals and red holly berries. These light, crispy cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations and can be decorated with Christmas sprinkles for added charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 1⅓ cup powdered sugar
Coloring & Decoration
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
- Christmas sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheets: Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Whip egg whites: Using a stand or hand mixer with a dry, large mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites and lemon juice on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add sugar gradually: Slowly add the powdered sugar in ⅓ cup increments, beating continually until stiff peaks hold and the sugar is dissolved, resulting in a glossy meringue; this can take up to 10 or more minutes.
- Color the meringue: Separate ½ cup of the mixture into a small bowl and gently fold in the red food coloring. In the larger bowl, gently fold in green food coloring until the desired shade is reached, taking care not to overmix.
- Pipe the wreath shapes: Place the green meringue into a piping bag fitted with Wilton tip #199 and pipe medium-sized flower shapes in a circle onto one prepared baking sheet. Use a Wilton tip #4 and piping bag to pipe small holly berries between the flowers. Optionally, sprinkle Christmas sprinkles on top before baking.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the meringues for 30-40 minutes or until dry to the touch. Bake in batches to avoid moisture build-up in the oven. While the first batch bakes, pipe the second batch on the other prepared sheet.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely for about 5-10 minutes before serving or storing.
Notes
- Store cookies in a dry, airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days; they do not freeze well.
- Add sprinkles before baking so they stick properly and do not burn in the oven.
- Recommended piping tips for wreath bases are Wilton 1M, Wilton #199, or Ateco 846/848/849; for holly berries and bows, use Wilton tips #3, 4, or 5.
- If short on time, use the overnight baking method to dry meringues in batches.
- Separate eggs cold from the refrigerator for best results and ensure no yolk contaminates the whites; allow whites to come to room temperature before whipping for easier aeration.
- Beat egg whites at medium to medium-high speed; adding sugar gradually after soft peaks form is key to achieving stable, glossy stiff peaks.
- Be gentle folding in food coloring to avoid deflating the meringue mixture.
- Bake until the meringues feel completely dry with a matte finish; avoid taking them out too early to prevent sticky centers and watch carefully near the end to prevent browning or burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 35 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
