Meringue Roses Recipe

Introduction

Meringue roses are delicate, airy treats perfect for adding a touch of elegance to any dessert table. Light, crisp, and subtly flavored with rose water or vanilla, these sweet little flowers are as beautiful as they are delicious.

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature (120g)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• 1 cup superfine caster or granulated sugar (200g)
• 1/4 tsp rose water or vanilla extract (optional)
• Pink gel food coloring (as needed)
• Neon green gel food coloring (for leaves, as needed)

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Step 2: Ensure your mixing bowl and whisk attachment are completely grease-free. Wipe with a vinegar-moistened paper towel if needed.
3. Step 3: Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk on medium speed until tiny bubbles form on the surface.
4. Step 4: Gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, while mixing on medium-low speed. Once sugar is incorporated, increase to medium-high speed.
5. Step 5: When the meringue reaches near stiff peaks, add rose water or vanilla extract and a drop of pink gel food coloring. Mix until stiff, glossy peaks form.
6. Step 6: Fill a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip with most of the pink meringue, leaving about 1/4 cup in the bowl.
7. Step 7: Add green gel food coloring to the remaining meringue in the bowl and transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a leaf tip.
8. Step 8: Pipe roses immediately, starting from the center and swirling outward. Pipe leaves with the green meringue next to the roses.
9. Step 9: Place trays in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and let meringues cool inside for at least 1 hour or overnight.
10. Step 10: Remove from oven once cool. Meringues should be crisp outside with a light, airy center. Store properly before serving.

Tips & Variations

• Use gel food coloring instead of liquid to avoid affecting meringue stability.
• Allow egg whites to come to room temperature before whipping for best volume.
• Pipe meringues about 1 inch apart as they do not spread during baking.
• If meringues become sticky after storage, re-crisp them in a 200°F oven for 10–15 minutes and cool completely.
• For a warmer pink tone, add a touch of yellow gel food coloring to the pink.

Storage

Store meringue roses in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Avoid refrigeration, which can make them soft and sticky. If needed, refresh their crispness by warming gently in a low oven.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use liquid food coloring instead of gel?

Liquid food coloring can affect the meringue’s texture and stability, so gel food coloring is recommended for best results.

How do I know when the meringues are fully baked?

After baking and cooling in the oven, meringues should peel off the parchment paper easily and feel dry to the touch. If still moist, bake a little longer.

Meringue Roses Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 77 reviews

Delightfully light and airy Meringue Roses made from whipped egg whites and sugar, flavored with rose water or vanilla, and colored with gel food coloring. These elegant treats are piped into beautiful rose shapes, baked slowly at a low temperature, and cooled gently to achieve the perfect crispy exterior with a melt-in-your-mouth center, perfect for festive occasions or elegant desserts.

• Author: Joe
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (including cooling)
• Yield: 36 meringue roses 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: International
• Diet: Low Fat

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Santa Meringues

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature (120g)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar – optional
• 1 cup superfine caster or granulated sugar (200g)
• 1/4 tsp rose water or vanilla extract – optional
• Pink gel food coloring, a drop
• Yellow gel food coloring, a tiny drop (about 1/4 the amount of pink) – optional
• Neon green gel food coloring, a generous squirt

Instructions

1. Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
2. Clean Equipment: Ensure the whisk and bowl have no grease. Wipe with a vinegar-moistened paper towel if needed, as grease can prevent egg whites from whipping properly.
3. Start Whipping Egg Whites: Add egg whites and cream of tartar to the stand mixer bowl. Whisk on medium speed until the surface is covered in tiny bubbles, ensuring egg whites are fully at room temperature for best volume.
4. Add Sugar Gradually: Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing on medium-low speed. After all sugar is incorporated, increase to medium-high speed (like speed 6 on a KitchenAid).
5. Incorporate Flavor and Color: As stiff peaks begin to form, add rose water or vanilla extract and pink gel food coloring; for a warmer pink, add a tiny drop of yellow gel food coloring. Continue mixing until stiff, glossy peaks develop.
6. Prepare Piping Bags: Scoop nearly all pink meringue into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip (Wilton 1M), leaving about 1/4 cup in the bowl. Seal the bag top. Color the remaining meringue green with neon green gel food coloring and put it into a piping bag with a leaf tip (Wilton 352). Seal this bag as well.
7. Pipe the Roses: Immediately pipe roses starting from the center in a swirl motion outward, spacing about 1 inch apart. Use the green meringue for leaves.
8. Bake: Place trays in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 200°F (93°C).
9. Cool in Oven: After baking, turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool for at least 1 hour or overnight for best results, allowing gradual cooling to prevent cracking.
10. Check Doneness and Store: The meringues should be dry to the touch with a crunchy exterior and light center. If still moist, leave in oven longer. Store cooled meringues in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week; avoid refrigeration which softens them.

Notes

• The recipe yields about 36 meringue roses sized approximately 1.5 inches in diameter, but yield may vary with piping size and tip used.
• Separate eggs while cold, then let whites come to room temperature before whipping for optimal volume.
• Use gel food coloring to avoid affecting meringue stability, as liquid colors can make it less stable.
• Beat on medium-high speed (not highest) to create stable meringue with smaller air bubbles better for piping.
• Bake time varies depending on the size and shape of piped meringues; test by peeling off parchment to ensure done.
• If meringues become sticky after storage, re-crisp by returning to a 200°F oven for 10–15 minutes, then cool in the turned-off oven.
• The extended cooling phase in the oven helps prevent cracking and ensures a dry, crisp exterior and light interior.

Keywords: meringue, rose meringue, meringue roses, egg white dessert, baked meringue, festive dessert, elegant sweets