Vanilla Meringue Roses: Light, Delicious Cookies
I've been staring at meringues all week on Instagram and I am just fascinated. Not because I didn't know what they were. I've known about them for years. My mom used to make them. No, I've fallen in love with them because of their texture. So, I just had to make these vanilla meringue roses.
Vanilla Meringue Roses
Strictly so I could photograph them!
Of course, aside from their texture, creating these meringue roses also meant I could practice my piping skills for cake decorating! Food styling is an art. Cake decorating and piping is a whole other art.
But piping meringue roses, that is a beast!
Vanilla Meringue
Meringues are so fragile. They collapse at the drop of a hat, and sometimes don't want to fluff up to begin with. Don't worry! I have provided detailed instructions so that your meringues don't collapse. You also don't have to turn them into roses, but where's the fun in that?
So what does a meringue cookie taste like?
Vanilla Meringue Roses
It is a very light, airy, and crumbly cookie that is very sweet, and dissolves in your mouth. There are really only three main ingredients:
Egg Whites
Cream of Tartar
Sugar, or in this case, Swerve
Vanilla Meringue Roses
I have gone ahead and added vanilla extract as well to these meringue roses, but you don't have to. Or, you can add different flavored extracts of your choosing. Plus, once baked, try dipping it in chocolate. Or just go ahead and stick a big Hershey's kiss in the center before baking. That is the way I had them growing up. As long as you can keep that meringue stable, you can pretty much do whatever you want with these. Happy piping, and enjoy!
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Additional Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 hr
Ingredients
4 Egg Whites, Room Temperature
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract, See Notes
Instructions
Separate egg white into a glass, and ensure there is no yolk in it. Once sure, transfer to the clean mixing bowl and repeat the process until you have 4 completely yolk-free egg whites.
Let egg whites come to room temperature.
Add cream of tartar.
Beat on medium speed until the egg whites begin to foam.
Raise speed to high, and add Swerve one tablespoon at a time. Ensure it is completely mixed in before adding the next tablespoon. Swerve should be added very slowly.
Once you have added the majority of your Swerve, and the egg whites are thick and forming peaks, add the extract. Do not add in the beginning.
You are done beating when the peaks are stiff, and stand up on their own once you stop mixing.
Fill a piping bag or large ziplock with the meringue and cut off the end. Insert the piping tip, and begin creating your roses on a tray lined with aluminum foil. Roses will be fairly low in height, and approximately 2 inches in diameter. See notes below on piping tip information.
Place large tray or trays in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. Open oven briefly to check and ensure they aren't browning. You may need to turn trays, or put them on higher or lower racks as needed if they are browning. They brown very fast. Place back in the oven for another ten minutes.
As long as roses remain the size provided, they will not need more time to cook through. If you make larger meringue cookies, you will need to leave them in the oven longer, for up to an hour.
Meringues are very fragile. To remove without breaking, place your fingers underneath the foil, and gently press the base of the meringue up, until it comes off of the foil easily.
Transfer from foil to cooling rack within 5-10 minutes of coming out of the oven.
Notes
For the Swerve, you may use all granular or all confectioners, however I felt the mixture of the two worked well. The confectioners especially help with the piping.
Vanilla extract is optional. You may also replace it with other flavored extracts for different flavored meringue cookies.
Make sure the bowl you use to beat the egg whites in is perfectly clean and dry. It should be grease and crumb free, as meringues are very delicate and can collapse quickly.
Egg whites are easiest to separate cold. However, they are easier to beat and form into stiff peaks if room temperature. It is best, if you separate cold to leave out for about 30 minutes before beating them.
If any yolk ends up in the eggs whites, they will not beat correctly.
To pipe roses, use a piping tip similar to a Wilton 2D. If you want to create a different shape feel free. You may also just squeeze a small amount on a lined tray without a decorating tip, if you do not want to make fun shapes.
Once you have completed beating the meringue, move quickly to pipe and get into the oven. The egg whites do not stay stiff for long.
For Keto, sugar alcohols are 3.8 grams per serving making the net carbs 0.1g per serving.
