Clouds of Sugar: Five Recipes for Holiday Meringues

Peppermint Meringues with Chocolate Filling

Meringues are light and airy, and they melt on your tongue like snow. We're planning on making a few batches this weekend to round-out our cookie tray and have on hand for last-minute gift exchanges. We found a bunch of new recipes that sound absolutely delicious!

Winter is the absolute best time to make meringue! The airy cookies stay crispy and dry for weeks (instead of staling and weeping in summer's heat and humidity).

1. Peppermint Meringues with Chocolate Filling from Martha Stewart - Like little wintry kisses!
2. Spiced Plum Pavlovas from Epicurious - These would make a refreshing and elegant finish to a holiday dinner.
3. Cinnamon Pistachio Meringue from Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas - Cinnamon and pistachio sounds like a lovely combination of holiday flavors.
4. Meringue Snowflakes from Better Homes and Gardens - So sweet! (Literally and figuratively!)
5. Raspberry Snow Bars from the Washington Post - A thin meringue crust over gooey raspberry jam and buttery shortbread - yum!

Here are a few extra tips on making perfect meringue every time:

• Meringue Cookie Bites: Three Ways
• How to Keep Meringue Crispy
• Best Eggs for Meringue and Why
• Beating Egg Whites

(Images: Martha Stewart, Brian Leatart/Bon Appetit, Amy Atlas, Better Homes and Gardens, Jonathon Ernst/Washington Post)

Comments (6)

I actually made the Martha Stewart ones a few days ago. They were much easier than I expected. Very tasty!

I crush up my leftover candy canes after Christmas and fold them into the meringue batter.

A little more thanksgiving than Christmas, but if you use a swiss meringue you can make more stable cookies - I use a base to make pumpkin pie meringues, but I also have a recipe for hazelnut and cinnamon from my favorite bakery in London.

http://cheesecloth.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/pumpkin-pie-meringues/

If you live in a more temperate climate, remember- they won't stay crisp if it's soggy and rainy out!

Speaking of meringues, I made a Pavlova yesterday for my Dr. Zhivago themed Christmas party! the recipe is on Saveur's web sit. It was a HUGE success. We toasted Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova for inspiring it. (I also served borsch, blinis, caviar (the grocery store kind), and chicken kiev nuggets. It was one of my best parties yet!