Description
Delightfully festive and light, these Meringue Christmas Trees are made by whipping egg whites and sugar into stiff peaks, coloring them green, and piping them into charming tree shapes. Perfect for holiday parties or as a sweet decorative treat, they are crisp on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth soft on the inside.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 100 g granulated sugar
- Green gel food colouring
- Sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until the mixture becomes frothy, resembling cappuccino foam.
- Incorporate sugar gradually: Add one spoonful of granulated sugar at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue this process until all sugar is added and the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks that hold their shape firmly.
- Add food colouring: Add a few drops of green gel food colouring to the meringue mixture and mix gently until the color is evenly distributed to create a festive green hue.
- Pipe meringue trees: Transfer the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. On the prepared baking sheet, pipe three dollops of meringue stacked vertically with the largest at the bottom and smallest on top forming a Christmas tree shape. Decorate each dollop with sprinkles immediately after piping.
- Bake meringues: Bake the piped meringue trees in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the sides are completely dry to the touch and the bottoms lift cleanly off the parchment paper.
- Cool meringues: Turn off the oven and either leave the meringues inside to cool overnight with the oven door closed, or crack the oven door open and allow them to cool for about one hour for quicker cooling. Make sure they are completely cooled before storing to maintain crispness.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature before whipping for better volume and stability.
- Add cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites and help achieve stiffer peaks.
- Gradually adding sugar helps dissolve the sugar fully and creates glossy, firm meringue.
- Use gel food colouring as it will not affect the meringue’s texture unlike liquid colours.
- Leave enough space between piped meringues on the baking sheet as they do not spread much but need room for easy removal.
- Cool meringues completely in the oven to prevent cracks caused by sudden temperature changes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meringue (approx. 10g)
- Calories: 15 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
