Tree Meringues

Name: Tree Meringues
Yield: 18 servings
Ingredients: 2 large egg whites, room temperature; 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar; 1 tube green gel food coloring; 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar; 1/8 tsp (.5 mL) peppermint extract; small candies for decoration

Elegant little trees put a fun twist on ho-hum holiday cookies. And they'll come out perfectly precise thanks to the guide marks on the Reversible Silicone Baking Mat.

Ingredients

2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar
1 tube green gel food coloring
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
1/8 tsp (.5 mL) peppermint extract
small candies for decoration

Directions

Preheat oven to 200° F. In Classic Batter Bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until very foamy. (About 20 seconds.) Add cream of tartar and 4 – 6 drops of food coloring for a green shade. Beat for 1 – 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. (Tips of peaks will curl down when beaters are lifted.) Continue beating on high speed and gradually add sugar in a slow, steady stream with the 1-cup Silicone Prep Bowl. Beat mixture until all the sugar is incorporated. You want it to be glossy and form stiff peaks. (Tips of peaks will remain upright when beaters are lifted). Gently fold in peppermint extract.
Line a Cookie Sheet with the Reversible Silicone Baking Mat. Have the small circles facing up. Fill the Easy Accent® Decorator with meringue mixture and use the open star tip to pipe around each circle guide and spiral upward to form tree shapes. Bake 2 hours. Meringues should look dry and have small cracks on the surface. Turn the oven off but leave meringues inside with door slightly ajar for 30 – 60 minutes or until meringues are thoroughly dry. Transfer to Stackable Cooling Rack to cool completely. Decorate tops of trees with small candies. Store your meringues in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yield:

18 servings

Cook's Tips:

Try This Twist: Brush the inside of the Easy Accent® Decorator with green or red food coloring gel before filling it with the green meringue mixture. When you pipe the spiral, you’ll get a bright twist of color.