Meringue Rose Cookies

Not sure what to do with leftover egg whites? Make Meringue Rose Cookies.

updated post from 2011

MERINGUE ROSE COOKIES

I’ve made hundreds of meringue cookies and desserts over the years.  They require only few ingredients and can be made ahead of time. It doesn’t hurt that they are super pretty and delicious.

MERINGUE

• In a heat-proof bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and lemon juice. Another option, in place of lemon juice, is cream of tartar or vinegar.
• Place the bowl with egg whites, sugar, and lemon juice over a pot of simmering water. Whisking, heat the mixture. I used a stainless steel bowl, but you can also use a tempered glass bowl
• Whisk egg white mixture constantly using a wire whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. It is important that sugar is dissolved. Undissolved sugar crystals can cause sugar beading on the meringues.
• Rub the mixture between your fingers. It has to be smooth, if you feel graininess, keep heating the mixture until sugar is dissolved.
• Mixture will be white and soapy. This is normal.
• Once sugar is fully dissolved return the bowl to your mixer and whip the mixture using a wire attachment. Start at the low speed and then increase speed to medium high. Beat until medium peaks are formed. Then add alcohol or water based flavorings. Don’t use oil based flavoring. Beat meringue until it has stiff peaks.
• Meringue should be glossy and smooth. Grainy meringue is a result of over beating.

COLOR MERINGUE

To create realistic rose coloring, I decided to use 3 shades of pink.

Divide stiff meringue into bowls and color meringue with pink gel food coloring, ranging from deep pink, medium pink, and pastel pink. Control the color intensity by adding less or more food coloring. Try not to stir meringue, but instead fold gel colors into the meringue.

PIPE AND BAKE MERINGUE ROSE COOKIES

• To pipe the roses you need:
• Large Petal Tips #125
• Flower nail
• Parchment squares.

First, fit large piping bags with Petal Tips #125. Fill the piping bags with colored meringue. I used three piping bags and 3 Petal Tips. Be sure to watch the video on how to pipe the meringue roses.

Attach the parchment square to the flower nail. Then start piping a rose with the darkest pink in the center of the flower nail. Make a swirl. Next, use medium pink and pipe three petals around the center rose swirl. Remember, the narrow part of the petal piping tip should be facing up. Then pipe five outer rose petals with the lightest shade of pink meringue.

Place piped roses with the parchment paper attached onto the light-colored baking sheet. Bake at 175F for 3-4 hours. After, turn off the oven and let the cookies cool in the oven. Finally, once the oven cools, remove meringue cookies and store them as soon as you take them out of the oven.

HOW TO STORE MERINGUE COOKIES

Immediately store cookies in an airtight container with either food-grade silica gel or a small bowl of raw white rice. It helps to keep the moisture in check, and cookies stay crisp and don’t get soggy.

CAN I FREEZE MERINGUE COOKIES ?

Yes, certainly, you can freeze meringue cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. If freezing, layer meringues between parchment paper sheets. Defrost meringues on the kitchen counter for 3 hours. Don’t open the container while defrosting.

MERINGUE COOKIES TROUBLESHOOTING

• Weeping
  • Causes: overbeating of the meringue or cookies are underbaked.
  • Remedy: add more sugar or add 1 to 2tbsp corn starch to the meringue at the last stage of the mixing. It stabilizes the meringue.
• Cracks
  • Causes: meringue beaten at very high speed. Or meringue was baked at high temperature.
  • Remedy: beat meringue at medium-high speed, lower the baking temperature, and increase baking time.
• Beading
  • Causes: this can happen when sugar in the meringue is not completely dissolved or meringue was baked at high temperature, or it was baked for too long.
  • Remedy: Make sure sugar is dissolved completely. Lower the oven temperature.
• Chewy Texture
  • Causes: high baking temperature, underbaked meringues -not baked for long enough.
  • Remedy: adjust the oven temperature.
• Overbrowning
  • Causes: dark baking sheet, high baking temperature.
  • Remedy: use light-colored baking sheets, lower the temperature, adjust baking time.
• Meringue is not stiff
  • Have you added acidic ingredient? Cream of tartar, lemon juice or white distilled vinegar loosen tight protein chains in the egg whites, allowing you to beat in more air and making the meringue more stable.
  • Beat meringue at low speed at first and then increase speed to medium-high. Don’t beat the meringue at the highest speed setting.
  • It can take 10 minutes with a stand mixer to reach stiff peak. Be patient.
  • Maybe fat has gotten into the egg-white mixture? Wipe the tools with vinegar before before mixing the meringue.

TO MAKE MERINGUE ROSE COOKIES YOU NEED

• TOOLS
• Piping Bags
• 3 Petal Tips #125
• Parchment
• Flower Nail or use a Meat Thermometer
• USEFUL TUTORIALS
• Troubleshooting Meringue

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PIN IT for later

This post was originally published in 2011. For this reason on June 3rd, 2019 I updated this post with new step-by-step photos, written text and a video.