Description
These Meringue Wreath Cookies are delicate, festive treats perfect for the holiday season. Light and airy with a crisp texture, they come in beautiful green wreath bases and red holly berries, optionally decorated with Christmas sprinkles for extra cheer. Made primarily from egg whites and powdered sugar, they are a delightful sweet snack to brighten any celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 1⅓ cup powdered sugar
Coloring and Decoration
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
- Christmas sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheets: Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Beat Egg Whites and Lemon Juice: 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. This generally takes about 3-5 minutes and creates a foamy base for the meringue.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Slowly add the powdered sugar in ⅓ cup increments while continuously beating. Continue until stiff peaks form and the sugar is completely dissolved, resulting in a glossy mixture. This can take up to 10 or more minutes, so patience is key.
- Divide and Color the Mixtures: Separate ½ cup of the mixture into a small bowl and fold in red gel food coloring gently. Fold the green gel food coloring into the remaining larger bowl until you achieve the desired shade. Avoid overmixing to maintain volume.
- Pipe the Cookies: Transfer the green mixture into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton tip #199 and pipe medium-sized flowers in a circle onto one prepared baking sheet to form wreath shapes. Use a Wilton tip #4 in another piping bag to pipe small holly berries between the flowers using the red mixture. Optionally, sprinkle Christmas sprinkles on top before baking.
- Bake in Batches: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the meringues feel dry to the touch. Bake in batches to avoid excess moisture in the oven, which can prevent proper drying. For time-saving, consider the overnight drying method (see notes).
- Cool Before Serving: Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheets, which takes about 5-10 minutes, ensuring they set properly before handling or serving.
Notes
- Store cookies in a dry, airtight container at room temperature; they last 3-5 days but do not freeze well.
- Add sprinkles before baking to ensure they stick and do not burn during baking.
- Recommended piping tips for wreath bases are Wilton 1M, Wilton #199, or Ateco 846/848/849, and for holly berries and bows Wilton tips #3, #4, or #5 work best.
- If short on time, use the overnight drying method to bake the meringues fully without batches by leaving them in a turned-off oven overnight.
- Separate eggs when cold for best results and ensure no yolk contaminates the whites to achieve ideal volume.
- Allow egg whites to come to room temperature before whipping to make beating easier and more effective.
- Beat egg whites on medium to medium-high speed for stable and voluminous peaks, avoiding low speeds that do not incorporate enough air.
- Be patient during whipping; add sugar only after soft peaks form to avoid sticky, unincorporated mixture.
- Fold in coloring gently to avoid deflating the airy meringue mixture.
- Bake until cookies are fully dry and matte; any gloss or dampness indicates more baking time needed. They should sound hollow when tapped.
- Watch the cookies closely near the end of baking to prevent browning or burning, as meringues can burn quickly once dry.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 50 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
