Christmas Meringue Trees

 

Any edible Christmas tree? Come on....you can't pass these up! They are light and fluffy, as a meringue should be, with that great crunch on the outside. There is also a slight hint of almond from the extract that sends these trees over the edge!

Ingredients:

4 egg whites, room temperature
1 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2 "dots" green food coloring
1/8 tsp. almond extract
Sprinkles (and stars for a tree topper)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. With the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in an electric mixer for around 5 minutes until peaks start to form. Add the almond extract and green coloring and whip for another minute or so.

 Using a star tip, pipe the mini trees using a piping bag, about two inches high. Make sure they are an inch apart (they don't grow as they bake). Add your sprinkles and stars and bake for two hours. Turn the oven off and let them sit for another two hours with cracking the door just slightly. Serve or store in an airtight container.