Delicate, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate peppermint Christmas meringue cookies are a perfect addition to your cookie trays.
Christmas meringue cookies
The combination of peppermint, chocolate and sugar to create one of our favorite storybook characters, Rudolph, is peak Christmas. I just love these meringue cookies so very very much.
While the decorating is quick and easy, note that the cooking time is long (two to four hours). But you can do the meringue cookie part one day and the antler, eyes and nose part the next day.
The peppermint chocolate flavors are exactly right. The airy meringue melts in your mouth. And so simple and easy to make.
Reindeer meringue cookies originally appeared on my other blog, theDecoratedCookie.com.
Reindeer treats
Here are some more Rudolph-themed treats to bake and give and eat.
Check out this adorable peanut butter reindeer fudge. Or these silly chocolate reindeer Rice Krispie Treats.
Try some cinnamon sugar Rudolph biscuits. Or, add some Rudolph cookie sticks to your trays.
Reindeer hot chocolate bombs are amazing! And chocolate pretzel reindeers are adorable.
ingredients and tools you'll need to make meringues
These light and airy cookies are filled with flavor.
ingredients
Be sure to have baking trays and parchment paper to line the trays.
You'll need large egg whites. To separate egg whites, crack the egg in the middle and hold each half over a bowl. Move the yolk from shell to shell until all of the egg whites are in the bowl.
Cream of tartar helps to stabilize the egg whites.
I recommend pure peppermint extract, NOT mint.
Granulated sugar is a key ingredient for meringues.
Unsweetened cocoa powder adds a chocolatey twist.
To decorate the cookies as Rudolph:
I suggest piping the meringue using disposable decorating bags. They make the process so much easier. Insert a plain size-12 round decorating tip.
To pipe the antlers, you'll need chocolate chips or cocoa candy melts.
For Rudolph's nose, use red hots candy OR any comparable red candy.
I love candy eyes! I use them for all my cute treats.
TIPS to making reindeer meringue cookies
Separate the egg whites in a separate bowl than the one you'll mix your cookies. This way, you can more easily remove shell and and errant yolk.
Make sure your bowl and spatulas and whisks are GREASE-FREE! Even the smallest amount can deflate meringue.
Add the sugar gradually.
You'll need to whip the mixture very well. It may take a few minutes. You want the mixture to be glossy with stiff peaks. (Stiff peaks meaning if you hold up the whisk, the meringue will keep its shape and not fall or fold into itself.)
If your meringues feel chewy, you can return them to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Just watch that they don't overcook.
reindeer meringue cookies recipe
reindeer meringue cookies recipe
Light, airy, delicious chocolate peppermint reindeer meringue cookies are a perfect addition to your Christmas cookie trays.
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips or cocoa candy melts
- Red hots candies (or any comparable red candies)
- Candy eyes (about 60)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a couple baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a wire whip, or in a large bowl if you are using a electric hand mixer.
- Add the peppermint extract and cream of tartar. Whip at high speed until the mixture looks like snow with stiff peaks.
- Gradually add the sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) while mixing at medium speed. Switch to high speed until the mixture begins to shine.
- Add the cocoa powder and stir in at low speed.
- Assemble a decorating bag with the size 12 tip and fill with the meringue. Pipe balls on the tray about 2-inches across and an inch apart. To pipe a ball, just hold the decorating bag vertically and squeeze. Fill the baking trays, refilling the decorating bag as needed. You'll have between 28 and 30 meringues.
- Bake for 2 hours or until the meringue sets but doesn't yet begin to brown. Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and let the meringues sit in the warm oven for 2 more hours. Let cool.
- Line two baking trays with parchment or wax paper.
- Place chocolate chips or candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds at 70 percent power. Continue to microwave at 30 second, then 15 second, intervals if needed, stirring well to use the residual heat to fully melt the chocolate.
- Let the chocolate cool a bit to the touch. (Candy melts need less time to cool.) Pour the melted chocolate in a disposable decorating bag. Snip ¼-inch from the tip of the bag.
- Pipe antlers on the baking tray and immediately place a meringue cookie on top. Make sure to leave a good dollop of chocolate at the end of the antlers so it sticks well to the back of the meringue. Fill the trays with reindeer.
- Use small dots of melted candy melts or chocolate to adhere the candy eyes and red noses.
- Let set at least an hour before carefully removing from the baking tray. If the chocolate starts to harden, microwave for 15 seconds more.
Notes
TOOLS YOU'LL NEED
2 disposable decorating bags
1 size "12" round decorating tip
TIPS
To separate egg whites, crack the egg in the middle and hold each half over a bowl, cradling the yolk in one of the halves. Move the yolk from shell to shell until all of the egg whites are in the bowl.
Make sure your bowl and spatulas and whisks are GREASE-FREE! Even the smallest amount can deflate meringue.
You'll need to whip the mixture very well. It may take a few minutes. You want the mixture to be glossy with stiff peaks. (Stiff peaks meaning if you hold up the whisk, the meringue will keep its shape and not fall or fold into itself.)
If your meringues feel chewy, you can return them to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Just watch that they don't overcook.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
28Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 65Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 39mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g
HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.
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