There is just something about meringues that make so giddy when I see them. Crunchy on the outside and soft and mallow-y on the inside. Ugh.
It’s what dreams are made of. I’m currently having a minor love affair with all things mallow-y and colorful. And these meringues are definitely colorful!
Meringues can be made two ways. One is the French method where you whip egg whites while gradually adding sugar to the mixture. The other is the Swiss method, where you whisk the sugar and egg whites over a double boiler in order to dissolve all the sugar before whipping it up.
I made these meringues with the Swiss method in hopes of getting a chewy-in-the-middle texture.
You can color the meringues by adding gel food coloring either directly to the meringue or by painting the piping bag. I love how vibrant the colors are when you use gel food coloring! You can also use whatever piping tip you want. I mixed it up between a round tip and a star tip.
These meringues are the perfect addition to a dessert table. You can make them a day ahead and store them in an airtight container. In addition, you can freeze them in the freezer for up to three months!
Try dipping them in chocolate and coating them in sprinkles for an even more festive look! Or place them on top of a cake as a pretty decoration!
Meringues are so easy to make, and looks absolutely gorgeous. Give them a try!
- 2 egg whites
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp clear vanilla extract
- gel food coloring (optional)
- Pre-heat the oven to 215 F
- Set up a double boiler by bringing 1 cup of water to a simmer in a saucepan and placing a bowl on top of the pan. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water!
- Add egg whites and sugar to the bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the double boiler.
- Add vanilla extract and whisk on high speed until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks
- Paint stripes of gel food coloring up the side of a piping bag. Fill with the meringue and pipe dollops of meringue onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until the meringue easily come off the baking sheet. Turn off the heat and let meringue cool down in the oven. Place in an airtight container for up to 3 days.