Description
Delicate and festive Meringue Wreath Cookies featuring fluffy, sweet meringue piped into beautiful green wreath shapes with red holly berries, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Meringue Base
- 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
- Preheat the Oven: Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prepare for baking.
- Beat Egg Whites: Using a stand or hand mixer with a dry large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and lemon juice on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3-5 minutes.
- Incorporate Sugar: Slowly add the powdered sugar in thirds, beating continually until stiff peaks hold and the mixture is glossy and sugar is dissolved, which may take 10 minutes or more.
- Color the Mixture: Separate ½ cup of the meringue into a small bowl and gently fold in the red food coloring. In the large bowl, gently fold in green food coloring until desired color is reached without overmixing.
- Pipe the Wreaths: Place the green mixture in a piping bag fitted with Wilton tip #199 and pipe medium-sized flowers in a circle on one baking sheet. Use Wilton tip #4 to pipe small holly berries between flowers. Sprinkle with Christmas sprinkles if desired.
- Bake in Batches: Bake for 30-40 minutes or until dry to the touch. Bake in batches to avoid moisture buildup in the oven, which can prevent proper drying. Pipe the second batch on the other baking sheet while the first is baking.
- Cool the Cookies: Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool completely for about 5-10 minutes before serving to ensure they set properly.
Notes
- Store meringue wreath cookies in a dry, airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days; they 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, #199, or Ateco 846/848/849, and for holly berries use Wilton #3, 4, or 5.
- If short on time, use the overnight baking method to dry the meringues instead of baking in batches.
- Separate egg whites from cold eggs to avoid yolk contamination and allow whites to come to room temperature before whipping for best volume.
- Use medium to medium-high mixer speed to incorporate air efficiently while beating egg whites.
- Add sugar gradually after soft peaks form to ensure the meringue becomes glossy and stiff without collapsing.
- Fold in food coloring gently to avoid deflating the meringue mixture.
- Bake until cookies are dry, matte, and have a hollow sound when tapped; remove immediately if any golden color appears to prevent burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 30 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
