Pastel Meringue Cookies
These light and crispy meringue cookies are tinted in soft pastel colors for a beautiful presentation. They melt in your mouth, require only four ingredients, and are naturally gluten-free.
Why You’ll Love It
- Only 4 ingredients needed
- Naturally gluten-free and fat-free
- Light, airy, and melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Beautiful pastel colors for spring celebrations
- Impressive looking but simple technique
- Makes about 40 small cookies
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup superfine sugar (or regular granulated sugar processed in a blender)
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring in pastel shades (pink, lavender, mint, yellow)
Steps
- Preheat your oven to 200°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk attachment are completely clean and free of any grease or residue.
- Place the room temperature egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, waiting about 10 seconds between each addition.
- Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form and the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 to 7 minutes total.
- Rub a small amount of meringue between your fingers to check that no grittiness remains.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Divide the meringue among several small bowls if making multiple colors.
- Add a tiny amount of gel food coloring to each bowl and fold gently until the color is evenly distributed.
- Transfer each color to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip or round tip.
- Pipe small rosettes or kisses onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours until the meringues are completely dry and lift easily off the parchment.
- Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside with the door closed for at least 1 hour or overnight to cool completely.
Helpful Tips and Substitutions
Room temperature egg whites whip to a greater volume than cold ones, so let them sit out for 30 minutes before starting.
Even a tiny speck of egg yolk or grease will prevent the whites from whipping properly.
Superfine sugar dissolves faster and creates a smoother meringue, but regular sugar works if processed briefly in a blender first.
Do not make meringues on a humid or rainy day because they will absorb moisture and become sticky.
Gel food coloring works better than liquid because it does not add extra moisture to the meringue.
If the meringues start to brown, your oven is too hot, so reduce the temperature by 15 degrees.
Serving Ideas
Arrange the meringues on a tiered serving tray for an elegant display.
Mix multiple pastel colors together for a spring or Easter presentation.
Sandwich two meringues together with a small amount of whipped cream or lemon curd.
Crush leftover meringues over ice cream or pavlova.
Package in clear bags as party favors or homemade gifts.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Store meringues in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Do not refrigerate because the moisture will make them soft and sticky.
Add a silica gel packet to the container to absorb any ambient moisture.
Meringues can be frozen in a single layer for up to 1 month, but may lose some crispness when thawed.
If meringues become soft, re-crisp them in a 200°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Light as Air
Meringues look fancy but are actually one of the simplest cookies to make.
The low and slow baking is hands-off, so you can do other things while they dry out.
Once you master the technique, you will make these for every spring gathering.