Holiday Meringue Cookies

Ingredients

For the recipe

• 120 g egg whites, from approximately 4 large eggs; weigh the whites and reserve the yolks for another use
• 240 g caster or superfine white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, approximately 0.8 g
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, approximately 0.75 g
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
• 20 g small red, green and white nonpareil sugar sprinkles, approximately equal amounts of each color

Instructions

1. Wash and thoroughly dry a heatproof metal mixing bowl and the whisk attachment or hand-mixer beaters. Check that no grease remains. Separate each egg into a small bowl first, then transfer the white to the mixing bowl, keeping every trace of yolk out. Weigh out exactly 120 g whites.
2. Heat the oven to 100°C / 210°F conventional or 90°C / 195°F fan. Arrange two racks around the centre of the oven with space for air to circulate. Line two light-colored baking trays, approximately 40 x 30 cm each, with baking parchment. Prepare a large piping bag with a star tip approximately 10-12 mm across.
3. Add the sugar to the egg whites and whisk by hand until evenly combined. The mixture will initially look thick and grainy. This recipe uses twice as much sugar as egg white by weight, so measure both rather than estimating by cups or egg count.
4. Bring approximately 2-3 cm of water to a very gentle simmer in a saucepan that can support the mixing bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan with its base above, not touching, the water. Keep the heat low enough that steam gently warms the bowl without vigorous boiling.
5. Heat the whites and sugar while whisking continuously, reaching around the sides and bottom to prevent hot spots. Continue until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches at least 71°C / 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, usually approximately 5-8 minutes. Stir before taking the temperature and keep the probe away from the metal bowl. A cooled drop rubbed between clean fingertips should feel smooth rather than gritty.
6. Remove the bowl from the heat and wipe its underside dry. Add the cream of tartar and salt. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed for about 1 minute, then increase to medium-high. Continue for approximately 6-10 minutes, until the meringue is glossy, thick and able to hold a firm upright peak, and the bowl no longer feels hot.
7. Add the vanilla and beat briefly to distribute it. Check the texture by lifting the whisk: the meringue should retain distinct ridges and a stable peak rather than flowing back into the bowl. If it is still warm and loose, continue beating in short intervals until it holds its shape.
8. Transfer the meringue to the piping bag without repeatedly stirring or compressing it. Secure each parchment sheet with a tiny dab of meringue underneath its corners. Pipe approximately 60 small kisses, about 30 on each tray, using roughly 6 g meringue per cookie. Aim for a base 3-3.5 cm across and a height no greater than about 2 cm, with at least 1.5 cm between cookies.
9. Distribute all 20 g sprinkles over the cookies while their surfaces are still tacky. Keep the decoration light and even so it adheres without weighing down the peaks. Brush any loose sprinkles away from the tray edges before placing the trays in the oven.
10. Place both trays in the oven and dry the cookies for 60 minutes. Open the door briefly, exchange the trays between the two shelves and rotate them front to back, then close the door. The surfaces should be setting without developing noticeable brown color.
11. Continue drying for another 45-60 minutes, giving approximately 105-120 minutes of oven time altogether. The meringues should feel light, have dry outer surfaces and release cleanly from the parchment when gently lifted. Keep the oven low; raising the temperature to hurry them can color the outside before the centres dry.
12. Remove one cookie and let it cool for 3-5 minutes before breaking it open. Its centre should be dry and crisp rather than sticky, gummy or marshmallow-like. If the centre is still chewy, return the trays to the oven and dry for a further 15 minutes, repeating the cooled-cookie check as necessary. Larger cookies or humid conditions can require extra time.
13. Once the cookies are dry through the centre, turn off the oven and leave them on their trays inside for approximately 60 minutes with the door slightly ajar. Let them become completely cool before handling or packing. The cooling period is additional to the heating and oven-drying time.
14. Peel the cold meringues gently from the parchment and transfer them promptly to a dry airtight container, separating layers with parchment if needed. The recipe makes approximately 60 cookies, or 20 servings of 3 cookies. Keep them separate from moist cookies, cakes or fresh fruit until serving so they retain their crisp texture.