Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
St Patrick’s Day Meringue Cookies
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Easy, 4 ingredient low fat meringue cookies! Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with these green medallion meringues with gold sprinkles. An easy, light spring dessert.
Green food…sometimes kids are turned off by it, but these easy, fun cookies might just win them over. After all…they have sprinkles! Finish off your corned beef dinner with this easy treat.
I’m not the best at making seasonal or holiday themed foods. When the kids were younger I would have some success, but lately….not so much. Every now and then you’ll find me dreaming up a holiday recipe though…and the family always loves it when I do!
Green Meringue Cookies
Although you can make these cookies any flavor or color you’d like, we decided to make these green for St. Patrick’s Day. Use gold sprinkles before baking for a fun look!
Is meringue low fat?
These cookies are low in fat because they only have egg whites. They do have sugar, but are one of the better cookies you can eat if you’re watching calories and fat intake. Meringue cookies are also gluten free!
How to Make Meringue Cookies
Meringue cookies are one of the easiest types of cookies to make.
*Pro Tip: When making meringue, you have to make sure your bowl, beaters and any spoons that you use are grease free and moisture free. Don’t leave any drops of water in the bowl. This could ruin your meringue!*
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Yes, you need to do this so the cookies don’t stick!
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed and mix for 2 minutes. Make sure there is not one bit of yolk in your egg whites (again…no grease or fats in your egg whites at all!). If there is any yolk at all, your meringue will not turn out.
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Add lemon juice and gradually increase the speed to high.
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As you beat the egg mixture, slowly add your 1 cup of sugar, about 1 heaping tablespoon at a time.
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Once mixture forms stiff peaks, add one small drop of green gel food coloring. Fold the coloring in gently and do not overmix.
Piping Meringue Cookies
We used a Wilton size #12 piping tip. You can use one with ridges to make a ruffled look if you’d like! If you’re looking for a great starter tip set, we like this one.
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Using a piping bag, pipe a dollop of meringue onto your lined baking sheet, about 1.5 inches in diameter.
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Garnish top portion of each “medallion” with green sprinkles.
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Bake for two hours. Once they’ve been in the oven for two hours, turn off the heat and let sit in the oven for 35-45 minutes.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Why are my meringue cookies chewy?
Too much moisture can make your meringue cookies chewy. This is why it is important to leave them in the oven after baking. Meringue pulls moisture from the air, so anything from a humid day to a pot of boiling water could cause the cookies to be chewy.
Why are my meringue cookies sticky?
The cookies should not be coming out of the oven sticky, so if they feel sticky, leave them in the oven on a low temperature for a bit longer. You can even leave them in the oven overnight!
How long do meringue cookies last?
Store meringues in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Can you refrigerate meringue cookies?
There is much debate on whether you can refrigerate meringue cookies. I found this article very interesting (I’m a food science nerd, for sure!). Refrigerators are generally a humid area, so we prefer to store meringues at room temperature.
Can you freeze meringue cookies?
Yes! Store the meringues in an airtight container with parchment paper between any layers. They key to freezing meringues is in how you defrost them. Normally with cookies we recommend leaving them in their freezer container until they are completely thawed, then opening them. For meringues, however, you don’t want them to absorb any extra moisture.
Remove them from the freezer, then place the cookies on a wire rack to defrost uncovered.
Christmas Meringue Cookies
We made these for St. Patrick’s Day but you could easy use red sprinkles for Christmas!
Other St. Patrick’s Day Desserts
St. Patrick's Day Meringue Cookies
Easy, 4 ingredient low fat meringue cookies! Celebrate St Patrick's Day with these green medallion meringues with gold sprinkles. An easy, light spring dessert.
Servings 40
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Rest Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites (at room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- Green gel food coloring
- Golden sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed and mix for 2 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and gradually increase the speed to high.
- As you beat the egg mixture, slowly add your 1 cup of sugar.
- Once mixture forms stiff peaks, add one small drop of green gel food coloring.
- Using a piping bag, pipe a dollop of meringue onto your lined baking sheet, about 1.5 inches in diameter.
- Garnish top portion of each “medallion” with green sprinkles.
- Bake for two hours. Once they've been in the oven for two hours, turn off the heat and let sit in the oven for 35-45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 40 cookies, with 1 serving being 1 cookie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 5mg | Sugar: 5g
