Meringue Cookies
Pale pink vanilla meringue kisses with crisp shells and light, dry centres. This classic egg-white bake makes 48 small cookies. Batch yield: 48 small meringue kisses. One serving: 1 cookie, approximately 4.5 g after baking and drying. Allow approximately 4 hours overall: 30 minutes of preparation, 90 minutes of baking and 120 minutes of mandatory cooling. prep_minutes includes preparation plus cooling, not just hands-on work. Preheating happens during preparation and is not counted separately. Both trays bake simultaneously, so their oven time is counted once. Cooling comprises 90 minutes in the switched-off oven followed by 30 minutes at room temperature. No chilling is required. If the centres need further drying, add the extra oven time to the total. Appliances: Oven; Electric mixer. Equipment: Two 30 × 40 cm baking trays; Baking paper; Kitchen scales; Measuring spoon; Large mixing bowl; Whisk attachment or beaters; Flexible spatula; Piping bag; Large open-star piping nozzle; Oven gloves; Airtight storage container. Allergens: Contains eggs. Check the vanilla extract and vegetarian colouring labels for any additional product-specific allergens. Storage: Once completely cool, store airtight in a cool, dry place for up to 7 days. Humidity will soften the cookies. Refrigeration is not recommended because condensation can make them sticky. Freeze in a rigid airtight container for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature without opening the container, then uncover only when fully thawed.
150 min
Prep
90 min
Cook
48
Serves
18
Calories
Macros · per serving
4g carbs
Ingredients
For 48 servings
- 120 g Egg whites from 4 large eggs
- 1 g Cream of tartar
- 0.3 g Fine salt
- 200 g Caster sugar
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 0.2 g Vegetarian pink gel food colouring
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 100°C conventional (212°F), or 80°C fan (176°F). Position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two 30 × 40 cm baking trays with baking paper; both trays will bake together.
- 2
Make sure the mixing bowl and whisk are completely dry and free of grease. If separating whole eggs, separate them while cold and weigh out 120 g of whites, keeping all yolk out of the bowl. Refrigerate any reserved yolks promptly for another use.
- 3
Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt, then whisk until soft peaks form: the foam should hold a peak whose tip folds over.
- 4
With the mixer running at medium-high speed, add the caster sugar gradually, about 1 teaspoon at a time, over 6–8 minutes. Continue whisking until the meringue is thick and glossy, holds upright peaks and feels smooth rather than gritty when a little is rubbed between fingers.
- 5
Add the vanilla extract and pink gel colouring. Whisk briefly until evenly pale pink, scraping down the bowl with a spatula if necessary.
- 6
Fit a piping bag with a large open-star nozzle and fill it with the meringue. Pipe 48 evenly sized kisses, 24 on each tray, leaving approximately 2 cm between them. Aim for bases about 3–3.5 cm wide and approximately 7 g of uncooked meringue per kiss. Hold the bag upright, squeeze, then stop squeezing before lifting to form each pointed tip.
- 7
Bake both trays for 90 minutes. After 45 minutes, quickly exchange their shelf positions and turn each tray front to back. The kisses should remain pale pink, feel dry and lift cleanly from the paper. A test cookie cooled briefly should be crisp through the centre, not wet or chewy. If necessary, bake for another 10–15 minutes before starting the cooling period.
- 8
Switch off the oven and leave both trays inside with the door closed for 90 minutes. Then remove the trays and leave the cookies on them at room temperature for another 30 minutes, until completely cool. Do not package warm meringues, as trapped moisture will soften them.
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