It's day nine of the Christmas Countdown Cookie Advent Calendar for 2021. Even though meringues aren't cookies I couldn't help but add them to the countdown.
Makes: 50 small wreaths Best served: Warm is chewier, Room temp-cold is crunchy
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour
Cute, small, simple, shaped as wreathes these meringues most certainly earned their spot on the calendar. Even though meringues aren't technically considered a cookie, according to what a 'cookie' is defined as. These meringues have a crisp shell and literally melt in your mouth.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that I can bring the meringue batter back to life. When my bakings sheets are in the oven, the rest of the batter will separate. All I need to do to fix this is re-whip it! It is so nice to be able to salvage it when life gets busy.
Ingredients
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites. The eggs yolks can be used in a different recipe, personally, I will also use them for scrambled eggs.
3. In a mixer, beat on medium-high speed, the egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks appear, about 3-7minutes. Before mixing is the time to add food coloring or flavoring extract. An easy way to know is to lift up the whisk, or whisk attachment, and look at the meringue. If the peak falls, fast or slow, then it is a soft peak. If it stays stiff and rigid, then it is a stiff peak.
4. Put the meringue in a piping bag with a star tip. The small the star, the smaller the wreath will be. If you don't have a piping bag, cut a small hole in a plastic baggie, and put the tip in the hole. Then put the meringue in. Walla! A homemade piping bag
Here is what it looks like with no tip or a circle tip
Here is what it looks like with a star tip, slightly messy, but when baking with kids who wants perfection!
5. Pipe the meringue in circles. The meringue stays in place, so make them as big or as small as you prefer. Now is the time to decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar.
6. Bake for 1 hour. Place on a cooling tray when done
7. Optional, Cut a cranberry into small pieces and place on the meringue. I like to place them on the joint, where the piping stops. Place a couple of small mint leaves next to the cranberry.
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