Make Heart‐Shaped Meringue Cookies

Meringue cookies are a light, airy, delicate cookie. They are perfect for all occasions, but are especially popular for Valentine's day and tea parties because of how dainty they are. If you want to make extra-special cookies, make heart shaped meringue cookies instead. You can even take them to the next level with clever decorating techniques, such as dipping them in melted white chocolate and sprinkles.

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup (225 grams) superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• Red or pink gel food coloring (optional)

Makes 12 to 24 cookies

Steps

Making the Meringue

1. Beat the egg whites until they turn foamy. Place room-temperature egg whites into an electric mixer or a food processor fitted with whisks. Beat them using a medium-low speed setting until they turn foamy.
2. Add the cream of tartar. Keep beating the eggs using a medium-low speed setting until the eggs form soft peaks.
3. Add the sugar gradually and keep beating until the eggs form stiff peaks. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon (15 grams) at a time. Beat the eggs for about 30 seconds before each addition of sugar.
   • Superfine sugar is also called "baker's sugar" or "castor sugar." It is not the same thing as powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar.
4. Mix in a small dab of pink or red gel food coloring. How much you add depends on what color you want the cookie to be: pale pink, dark pink, red, etc. The more gel you add, the darker, deeper the color will be. You can also leave the hearts white, if you'd prefer.
5. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, if desired. You can also use another flavor if you prefer. Strawberry or raspberry would work especially well if you are going to make the meringues pink. Be sure to stir it in well.
6. Beat the meringue for another 7 to 8 minutes. Use a high speed setting this time. The mixture should not feel grainy if you rub it between your fingers.

Shaping the Cookies

1. Fit a piping bag with a large tip. Cut open the tip of a piping bag. Insert a ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) wide decorator's tip into the bag. You can use a round tip or a star-shaped one. A round tip will give you smooth hearts, while a star-shaped tip will give you ridged hearts.
   • A large piping bag will work the best. If you use a small one, prepare to refill it often.
2. Scoop the meringue into the piping bag. Place the bag into a tall glass, then roll down the top edge over the rim. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the meringue into the bag. Twist the end of the bag shut and tie it off.
3. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. You can also use a silicone baking mat instead. Use a light-colored baking sheet if you can. This will help prevent the meringues from turning brown.
4. Pipe the meringue into hearts onto the prepared baking sheets. Start by making a tight question mark for the right side of the heart. Make a backward question mark for the left side. Make the hearts 2 to 4 inches (5.08 to 10.16 centimeters) wide.
   • You can leave a small gap in the middle or fill it in.
   • If the bottom of the heart is too sharp, dip your finger in water and smooth it down.
   • If you want to make meringue ice cream sandwiches, make the cookies bigger.
5. Let the meringues rest for 10 minutes. This allows them to form a crust at top and keeps them from cracking. During this time you can preheat the oven to 225°F (107°C).
6. Bake the meringues at 225°F (107°C) for 1 hour. If you have not already, preheat your oven to 225°F (107°C). Insert the baking sheets into lower third of the oven. Allow the meringues to bake for 1 hour. Don't worry if they don't look done at the end of the hour.
7. Turn off the oven and wait until it cools. Leave the meringues in the oven until the oven is completely cool. During this time, the meringues will finish drying at a lower temperature. By the time the oven is cool, they will be ready to use
8. Serve the cookies. If you have any left over, store them on the counter in an airtight container. They will last 1 to 2 weeks. Do not store them in the fridge, or they will absorb too much moisture. If you want to make the cookies fancier, read the next section for some decorating ideas.

Decorating the Hearts (Optional)

1. Drizzle the cookies with melted white chocolate for an elegant touch. Melt some white chocolate in the microwave or in a double-boiler. Pour it into a piping bag fitted with a small, round tip. Drizzle the melted chocolate over each cookie in a zigzag, Add some sprinkles on top before the chocolate sets.
   • Confetti sprinkles will look wonderful here, but you can use other types too.
2. Consider dipping the hearts in melted chocolate. Melt some white chocolate using the microwave or a double-boiler. Dip a meringue heart halfway into the melted chocolate. Set it down onto a sheet of wax paper, then sprinkle colored sugar or sprinkles on top. Repeat for the rest of the cookies.
3. Make whipped cream sandwich cookies. Prepare buttercream frosting, then flavor it with strawberry puree or jelly. Pipe the buttercream onto the back of one cookie, then press another cookie on top.
4. Seal two cookies around a paper straw to make pops. Coat the back of one heart with melted white chocolate. Flatten the top inch (2.54 centimeters) of a paper straw. Press it into the melted candy and place a second meringue heart on top. Squeeze the two together until the melted chocolate oozes out. Dip the edges of the pop in sprinkles to hide the melted chocolate.
   • For an added touch, wrap some pink, white, or red satin ribbon around the middle of the straw and tie it into a bow.
5. Turn them into ice cream sandwiches. Use an ice cream scoop to place soft vanilla or strawberry ice cream onto the back of one of the hearts. Place the another cookie on top, and gently flatten it. Be careful not to break it! Do this for all of the cookies.
   • The cookies will crack when you bite into them, but that's okay!

Tips

• It is easier to separate the whites from the yolks while the eggs are still cold. Remember to let the egg whites come to room temperature before using them.
• If you need to, use a pencil and a heart-shaped cookie cutter to trace hearts onto parchment paper. Flip the parchment paper over, and pipe the hearts on top.
• If your hearts are looking more like triangles, try exaggerating the heart shape a bit more.
• Make sure that the mixing bowl is clean and grease-free, otherwise the meringue won't set properly.
• If you can't find caster/superfine sugar, blend regular granulated in a food processor until it is very fine, and use that instead.
• You can use pink or white candy melts instead of white chocolate for decorating the cookie.
• Try pink, white, or red sprinkles. You can also use heart-shaped sprinkles.
• If you don't have any piping bag or tips, place the meringue into a freezer bag. Zip it shut and cut one of the corner off to make a ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) opening.

Things You'll Need

• Electric mixer
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Piping bag
• Large round or star-shaped decorators tip
• Rubber spatula

Sources and Citations

See also

• Create Gourmet Oreos and Whipped Cream
• Sweeten with Monk Fruit
• Make a Mango Float
• Make an Avocado Dessert
• Make Pavlova
• Make Whipped Cream
• Make Crepes Supreme with Nutella
• Make Fried Oreos
• Make a Trifle
• Make Tiramisu

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