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A bowl of colorful meringues on a red cloth

Holiday Meringues

Crisp and snappy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, these pillowy little treats light up any holiday gathering.
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Course: candy, Dessert, Desserts, Desserts/Cookies
Cuisine: Amercian, French
Keyword: holiday baking, holiday candy, holiday cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Author: Laura Franco

Ingredients 

  • 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or other flavored extract)
  • food coloring of choice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 225°.
  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
  • Place the sugar and egg whites into a mixing bowl and stir with a spoon.
  • Add the cream of tartar and extract.
  • Mix on high speed until soft peaks form (about 10-15 minutes).
  • Transfer to a piping bag.
  • Add food coloring if desired and pipe on to parchment paper covered cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 30 minutes
  • Turn the oven off, do not open the oven door, and let the meringues cool in the oven while the oven cools down for about 1-1/2 - 2 hours.
  • Store the meringues in an air-tight container in a dry place.

Notes

  • You may see other meringue recipes that say cream of tartar is optional, however, I highly recommend using it when making any type of meringue.
  • Make sure the mixing bowl is completely clean and dry before adding the ingredients. Moisture and fat will not allow you to achieve the soft peaks in the meringue.
  • If you are separating your own egg whites, do it in separate bowls and not over the mixing bowl. If any of the egg yellows get into the whites, the whites will not be light and fluffy and the peaks will weak.
  • To make the stripes in the red and white meringues paint a few lines of red food coloring inside the piping bag. Fill the bag with white, uncolored meringue and pipe onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.
  • Store meringues in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Do not refrigerate them. Humidity will make them soft which is called "weeping".
  • You can freeze them in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.