Light, crisp and impossibly ethereal, meringue cookies are always a treat, particularly at the end of a heavy meal or during the holidays as a contrast to all of the other rich desserts and short pastries that are customary during the month of December.
Unlike conventional flour-based cookies, meringue cookies get their structure from whipped egg whites. (Need a primer on whipping egg whites? We’ve got you covered.) The idea is simple, but there are many directions in which you can take it: add a streak of flavored extract, fold in chocolate chips, or dip baked meringues into melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Meringues
These classic meringues are elegant simplicity. Enjoy them on their own, or try folding toasted flaked coconut or chopping nuts into the egg whites.
Peppermint Meringues
Even though this recipe from Joy Wilson, cookbook author and creator of the blog Joy the Baker, contains only four ingredients, the result is a fabulously festive and colorful cookie that’s sure to be a hit at any cookie swap.
Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnut Meringues
Chocolate and hazelnuts are a classic pairing in Italy, where you will see blocks of chocolate studded with the nuts in every shop and chocolate-hazelnut gelato sold in every gelateria. Here the combo puts a decidedly Italian spin on light, airy meringues.
Marbled Chocolate Meringues
Add just one additional ingredient—a few ounces of bittersweet chocolate—adds a completely new flavor element as well as a beautiful cocoa swirl to these cookies.
Chewy Chocolate Meringues
These chocolate meringues are crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. The cocoa nibs add a nice crunch and nutty flavor, but if you can’t find them, don’t worry; they can be left out.
Head to our Holiday Cookie Headquarters to check out even more seasonal baking ideas.