Fairy Tale Meringue Cookies

Fairy tale meringue cookies

Sometimes we need a little magic in our lives. These pretty, dainty meringue cookies sparked a bit of magic in my life that I want to share with you. It started when I washed some beautiful little violas. Watching them float in a bowl of clear water was positively therapeutic. After pressing and weighing them down with a heavy book overnight, the reveal of perfectly flat, delicate blossoms was so satisfying. The process of making meringue is also very satisfying for me. I love the moment when the frothy egg and sugar mixture magically turns to glossy, billowy sweetness.

Piping the meringue circles was fun! I traced circles on the bottom of the parchment paper to use as a guide for stress-free piping. I used white chocolate to fill the center of the meringue circles, but you can also use white chocolate chips or candy melts. You can use any small edible flowers or flower petals. Feel free to express your creativity! Try using sprinkles, edible glitter or tint the meringue mixture with a few drops of gel food color.

fairy tale meringue cookies

Print Recipe
Fairy Tale Meringue Cookies
Meringue cookies filled with white chocolate and topped with pressed edible flowers
Keyword cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Pressed edible flowers
Meringue cookies
Keyword cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Pressed edible flowers
Meringue cookies
Instructions
Pressed edible flowers
  1. Gently wash edible flowers. Pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Press between parchment paper. Weigh down with a heavy book for at least 24 hours.
Meringue cookies
  1. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until frothy.
  2. Add cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks.
  3. Continue beating and gradually add sugar and almond extract.
  4. Turn mixer to high speed and beat to glossy, stiff peaks.
  5. Preheat oven to 200ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. *I used Ateco #864
  7. Pipe two-inch circles about an inch apart onto prepared baking sheets.
  8. Bake for one hour. Turn off oven and let meringues cool in oven.
  9. In a microwave safe container, microwave white chocolate for 10 second intervals until melted or melt on the stovetop in a double boiler.
  10. Transfer melted white chocolate to a squeeze bottle or a piping bag. Fill holes of meringue circles with white chocolate. Top each with a pressed flower.
  11. Let chocolate set at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
Recipe Notes

*To find Ateco tip #864, click here.

Marshmallow Love

 

Marshmallow Cake by Brownie Mischief

Dear marshmallows, why are you so sweet and fluffy? I shall call you squishy and you shall be mine! Yes, it’s true, I’m a bit crazy about marshmallows. This post is nothing short of a marshmallow fest! First, my daughter and I made some Sparkly Marshmallow Hearts that are super fun and easy to make. I literally want to put them on everything! How cute do they look on this mini cake? They also make adorable cupcake toppers! To view the Sparkly Marshmallow Hearts tutorial click here.

We also had some fun with Puffy Poles. In case you’re not marshmallow savvy, Puffy Poles are marshmallows that look like chubby barber poles. They’re very popular on dessert tables and candy buffets. We used pink ones, which have a subtle strawberry flavor. We applied them to the pictured 4-inch diameter by 2 1/4 inch tall strawberry cake, which was crumb coated with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream. We used buttercream to adhere them to the sides of the cake. To find Puffy Poles click here.

Marshmallow Cake by Brownie Mischief

Next, I made some Billowy Sky Blue Marshmallow Frosting to share with you. One of the things you’re going to love about this frosting, besides being yummy, is it’s natural beauty. You can simply spoon it on, no piping or fancy tricks necessary. Everything it touches becomes an ethereal cloud of deliciousness! The recipe is below.


Print Recipe


Billowy Sky Blue Marshmallow Frosting

Fluffy, glossy, sweet marshmallow frosting.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings
cups


Ingredients

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings
cups


Ingredients


Instructions
  1. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together sugar, egg whites, water and cream of tartar until frothy.

  2. Place bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl. Whisk mixture until temperature reaches 160° and sugar is completely dissolved.

  3. Remove bowl from heat. Add extracts. Beat mixture with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer on high speed until stiff and glossy.

  4. Add a small amount of food color with a toothpick and mix on low speed. Continue adding food color, a little at a time, until desired shade is reached. Use a clean toothpick for each addition.


Recipe Notes

*It's important to dissolve all of the sugar when making this frosting. Ultra fine sugar dissolves easier, but if you are unable to find it, you can use regular granulated sugar.

Cocoa Meringue Brownies

One of my favorite things to top desserts with are meringue cookies. They’re as light as air and they look so pretty and whimsical! The color and flavor combinations are endless, so you can really have some fun getting creative. I decided to whip some up, especially for placing on top of my favorite brownies. They take even the most humble brownies to a new level. You can use your favorite brownie recipe or even a boxed brownie mix. I won’t judge! I like to make the meringues a day or two ahead since they take quite a while to bake in the oven. While they bake, a subtle chocolate scent will waft through your kitchen, reminding you of the smell of hot cocoa. They even taste like hot cocoa! You can make your brownies a few hours ahead or the night before. I cut mine into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. I cut 12 rounds of this size from a 13 x 9-inch batch of brownies. Right before serving, spoon some thick, glossy chocolate ganache on the brownies, then top them with your pretty meringues! To make these little bits of chocolate heaven, you’ll need:

  • 1 batch Cocoa Meringues (recipe below)
  • 1 batch of your favorite brownies
  • 1 batch chocolate ganache (see notes)

Print Recipe
Cocoa Meringues
Pretty, light and crispy treats that taste like hot cocoa!
Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Passive Time 2 hours
Servings
batch
Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Passive Time 2 hours
Servings
batch
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. Place egg whites in a large bowl. Whip egg whites with the whip attachment of an electric mixer, at medium speed, until foamy.
  4. Add cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Whip at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
  5. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue whipping, at medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  6. Stop mixer. Sprinkle powdered sugar and cocoa mixture over egg whites and whip at low speed until until incorporated, about 10 seconds.
  7. *This step is optional. Place a large, disposable pastry bag, fitted with a round piping tip, into a tall drinking glass. (I used a Wilton tip #12.) Fold the top third of the bag over the glass, forming a cuff. Using a small, clean paintbrush, paint thin, vertical stripes of food coloring on the inside of the bag, from the piping tip to the edge of the fold.
  8. Spoon egg white mixture into the pastry bag. Pipe small kisses, 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. (I made mine about 3/4-inch to 1-inch in diameter. If you'd like larger kisses, use a larger size piping tip.)
  9. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven and leave meringues in oven to cool and continue drying out for an additional 2 hours. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes

To make the chocolate ganache, I used a ratio of two parts semi-sweet chocolate to one part heavy cream. (Weighing the ingredients will give you the most accurate ratio.) Place 8 ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the cream just to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, making sure to cover it completely. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently until smooth.