Description
Delightfully light and festive Meringue Wreath Cookies perfect for holiday celebrations. These crisp, airy cookies are made with egg whites and powdered sugar, tinted in vibrant red and green colors, piped into charming wreath shapes and holly berries, then baked to a dry, crisp finish. They make a beautiful and sweet addition to your Christmas cookie platter.
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 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.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Slowly add the powdered sugar in ⅓ cup increments, beating continually until stiff peaks form and the sugar is fully dissolved. This should take up to 10 or more minutes and result in a glossy meringue.
- Color the Meringue: Separate ½ cup of the mixture into a small bowl and fold in enough red food coloring to achieve the desired color. Fold green food coloring into the remaining large bowl portion until you reach the desired green shade, being careful not to overmix.
- Pipe the Wreaths and Berries: Transfer the green meringue to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton tip #199 and pipe medium-sized flower shapes in a circle onto a prepared baking sheet. Use a piping bag with a Wilton tip #4 to pipe small holly berries between the flowers using the red meringue. Optionally, sprinkle Christmas sprinkles over the wreaths before baking.
- Bake in Batches: Bake the cookies for 30-40 minutes or until dry to the touch. Bake in batches to prevent moisture buildup in the oven which can affect drying. If pressed for time, try the overnight drying method described in the notes.
- Cool Completely: Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for about 5-10 minutes, allowing them to set fully before serving or storing.
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 so they adhere properly; adding after baking will not stick.
- Recommended piping tips for wreath bases (green) are Wilton 1M, Wilton #199, or Ateco 846/848/849.
- Recommended piping tips for holly berries and bows (red) are Wilton tip #3, 4, or 5.
- If short on time, use the overnight method to dry the meringues by leaving them in the turned-off oven overnight.
- Separate eggs cold from the refrigerator, with no yolk contamination, and let the egg whites come to room temperature before beating, approximately 30 minutes.
- Beat egg whites at medium to medium-high speed continuously; introducing air quickly is key to achieving stiff peaks.
- Add powdered sugar gradually only after soft peaks form in the egg whites to avoid a sticky liquid consistency.
- Mix food coloring gently to avoid knocking out air and deflating the meringue.
- Bake cookies until they are completely dry with a matte finish and hollow sound when tapped; remove promptly once dry to avoid burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 40 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
