This meringues recipe & decorating ideas post is courtesy of our contributor Chantelle…Over the past few years of hosting parties, one of my favorite party treats has become meringue cookies. With only 3 main ingredients, they are an inexpensive way to bulk up a candy or dessert table. Their light as air texture make for a fun treat and the mixture can be piped in almost any color and shape imaginable to match your party theme or holiday event.
I first made meringues for my daughter’s second birthday party. I piped them out in pretty basic dallop shapes and matched them to our Snow White theme by labelling them as Dwarf Hat Meringues.
I played off the same idea to make Hermey the Elf’s hat themed meringues for a Rudolph party at Christmas. These could also be easily altered with red and white to make Santa hat meringue cookies.
For my son’s 5th party, I made up some cloud shaped meringue cookies to fit with the Super Mario theme. There was no food coloring required and the clouds were easily formed by piping out several dots of meringue into a cloud shape.
Those same cloud shaped meringues worked perfect for a rainbow themed baby shower I put together a few months later. This time, I inserted toothpicks into each meringue cloud before baking and they made the perfect edible cupcake toppers. I will definitely be using this method again in the future.
Meringues Recipe:
You will need a good mixer to whip up your egg whites and there is a fairly long bake time for the meringues to dry out, but overall the process is very simple using ingredients you likely already have in your fridge and pantry. I was a bit intimidated when I first attempted meringues, but was pleasantly surprised by how easily they came together. I also love that they can easily be made several days ahead and stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag until party time.
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or other favorite flavour extract)
- gel food coloring (optional)
- Preheat oven to 200 Degrees Fahrenheit.
- Separate eggs and place whites into the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until frothy.
- Add in the cream of tartar and continue mixing until soft peaks form.
- Add in the sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing on high between additions to ensure sugar is completely dissolved.
- The mixture will begin to slowly turn bright white and become glossy.
- To test if the sugar is fully dissolved, rub a small amount between your fingers and if it still feels grainy, mix for an additional minute or two.
- Add vanilla extract and gel coloring as desired, mixing to fully incorporate.
- Spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with your desired tip and pipe out into shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 1 and a half hours at 200 degrees.
- The cookies should be dry at this point and lift easily off the parchment paper.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cookies in overnight to completely dry out and set.
- Store in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to two weeks.
I have also compiled a Pinterest board of meringue cookies ideas to show their versatility.
Here are just some of my favorite meringue cookie ideas from around the web:
This rainbow hued meringue alphabet from the Meringue Girls Cookbook really illustrates the versatility you can get from piping. Try inserting toothpicks to spell out your birthday child’s name on top of the cake, or make a big edible number of the age they are turning.
Show some love with a heart shape or a classic rose. These heart meringue pops from Laura’s Bakery would be perfect for Valentines day and the swirled flowers from Shugary Sweets would be perfect for a tea party or Mother’s Day.
These ghosts from Celiac Family and these bone shaped meringues from Taste of Home would be perfect at Halloween. Those same bones would also look great at a dog themed party.
For a woodland or camping theme, these Mushroom meringues from Corner Cottage Bakery would bring a touch of whimsy to the party. They also would have been a great alternative shape to the clouds I made for my Super Mario party. And the adorable mice from Better Homes and Gardens could go great with a kitty cat or Cinderella themed party.
You can get fancy with your meringue cookies, or keep it basic like these sprinkle topped meringues from Tikkido. You could tie a few up in a cellophane bag for easy favors, or add a stick into them to make lollipops like these colorful creations from Le Pop Shop. Any way you make your meringues, they’re sure to be a fun and unexpected treat for your party guests.
We’d like to send a big THANK YOU to Chantelle for sharing these tasty & adorable ideas with us. Her parties are always easy to recreate and kids love them! Be sure to follow her on Facebook to stay updated on all her fabulous ideas.
