You will love how easy these festive, crunchy cookies are to make! With only two ingredients required, meringue cookies are an affordable and simple holiday treat!
It was late at night during a holiday baking spree when I pulled a batch of these beauties out of the oven. That’s when I realized that my husband had never even heard of meringues before…..WHAT?! That means in three years of marriage I hadn’t made any meringue cookies. Way to go Kristen!
Nonetheless, he loved the unique texture of the meringues. The next day I received a text from him saying the cookies were a huge hit with his coworkers who had also never had them before. What’s with the lack of meringue love in the midwest? It’s so terribly sad. I vouch to change that!
What you will love most about these cookies has to be the simplicity of the recipe. They are also such a nice break from rich holiday treats. Their light texture is welcomed on a cookie platter full of heavy flavors!
Decorating Meringue Cookies
I chose to color mine green and cover them in sprinkles. Can you ever have enough sprinkles at Christmas time? I think not!
Meringue cookies are equally beautiful plain. These cookies are super forgiving and versatile. Feel free to switch up the pipping tip and get creative with them!
Ingredient Line Up
- Egg Whites – You want your eggs to come straight from the fridge, cold. Make sure you separate your egg whites into a small bowl before adding them to your mixer. If there is any yolk at all, then your meringues will not whip up correctly! Don’t know what to do with the yolks? Try banana cream pie!
- Sugar – Granulated sugar provides us with sweetness.
- Cream of Tarter – This is optional. If you do choose to add it, then it will make your meringues sturdier. This is helpful if you’re trying to make a taller design.
Tips for Meringue Cookie Success
- Make sure your mixing bowl and attachment are completely clean before starting! You can rub them with a bit of white vinegar to make sure they are free of any oils. I promise you won’t taste vinegar.
- Carefully separate your egg whites one at a time in a separate bowl so that yolk doesn’t get into your whites.
- If you choose to color your meringues, use gel colors instead of liquid food coloring. You will use far less coloring with gels, and it won’t mess up the consistency or taste!
- Beat your egg whites and sugar until they are stiff peaks. This has happened when you can dip your whisk into the mixture, turn it upside down, and the peaks don’t lose their shape.
- Check for doneness by pulling a meringue off the baking sheet. If it releases easily and is crisp, the meringues are done.
Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. You can also use a hand mixer fitted with whisk attachments.
- Beat the egg whites on high until foamy – 2 minutes
- Turn the mixer to medium and slowly add the granulated sugar and optional cream of tartar.
- Turn the mixer back to high and beat until the mixture is glossy and has stiff peaks – about 5 minutes.
- Add coloring if desired and mix until incorporated.
- Transfer the meringues to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. If you don't have a piping bag you can use a zip lock bag and cut a hole in the corner of the bag.
- Pipe your desired shape onto the baking sheets.
- Bake until the cookies are crisp, about 2 hours. Rotate your pans halfway through to make sure they cook evenly.
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