Christmas tree meringues

I came across an advertisement from a local grocery shop about making cute Christmas tree meringues. It looked pretty simple and fuss-free, so I thought why not?

We used to have a faux live-sized Christmas tree at home. I distinctly remember shopping with my family for it many years back. We picked gold and red ornaments. I love gold and red decorations; they give Christmas a snug, warm feel. The Christmas tree would stand against a wall in the living room, hence we adorned it mostly only where people could actually see it. Embellished with sparkly ornaments and illuminated with colourful lights, the tree was a charm when it was done.

I miss home. I would like to put up the Christmas tree with my family again.

These meringues were made with the intention of being a tad more green than they turned out to be. I was a knucklehead to think that they would be fine for the whole 30 - 40 minutes in the oven unsupervised; I actually went to take a bath when they were still baking! To my horror, they were already browning at the 30 minute point when I checked them.

Well, for some self-comfort, now that they look pale, they can be snow-decked Christmas trees right?

What?

• 2 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Green gel food colour (for green trees!)
• Piping bag
• Round piping tip
• Sprinkles
• Writing/decorating chocolate

How?

1. Beat egg whites until foamy.
2. Add salt and beat until soft peaks form.
3. Add in the sugar a little at a time and continue to beat the batter.
4. Add in the green gel food colour until desired shade is achieved. Whip the mixture until stiff peaks form.
5. Fill piping bags (with round piping tip attached) with the meringue.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the meringue onto the paper. Pipe onto the parchment paper vertically until a nice round (roughly 1") circle is obtained. Pipe another (medium-sized) circle on top of the 1" circle, and finish with a small circle at the very top.
7. Decorate the tree meringue with sprinkles and bake in a preheated oven at 150 degC for about 30 - 40 minutes. Check it every now and then to make sure that the meringue does not brown.
8. Using writing/decorating chocolate, draw out some stars for the tree top. When it is completely dry, stick it to the top of the cooled meringue with a bit of melted chocolate.