These meringue kisses are fun to make, colorful, and delightfully simple.
You only need two core ingredients: egg whites and superfine sugar. Add food coloring if you want a pop of color.
I used the recipe from The Meringue Girls Cookbook. The mixture is easy to remember: one part egg whites to two parts sugar.
Use superfine sugar and warm it briefly in the oven so the crystals dissolve quickly when added to the whipped whites.
Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Then add spoonfuls of the warm sugar one at a time, returning to stiff peaks after each addition. The mixture should become smooth and glossy.
Smooth and shiny — perfect for piping. Leave them white, or add flavor and color as you prefer.
For striped kisses, turn a piping bag inside out and brush on stripes of food coloring, then turn the bag back and fill it with meringue. Snip the tip and pipe small kisses onto a parchment-lined sheet.
For solid-colored kisses, gently fold color into the meringue until evenly combined.
These little treats are pretty, playful, and keep well when stored correctly.
Here is the full recipe card for Meringue Kisses.
Meringue Kisses
25 minutes
40 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 300 g superfine sugar (1-1/2 cups)
- 150 g egg whites (from about 5 eggs)
- food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, spread the superfine sugar in a thin layer, and warm it in the oven for about 5 minutes until the edges just begin to melt.
- While the sugar warms, pour the egg whites into the bowl of a clean stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on low to form bubbles, then increase to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the sugar from the oven. With the mixer on high, add the warm sugar one large spoonful at a time, allowing the mixture to return to stiff peaks after each addition.
- Once all the sugar is incorporated, continue whisking for 5–7 minutes. The meringue should be smooth and glossy and show no gritty sugar when rubbed between your fingers.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 200°F (95°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use small dabs of meringue in the corners to secure the paper.
- To make striped kisses: turn a piping bag inside out and paint 4–5 stripes of food coloring along the inside. Roll the bag so the painted side is inside, pack the meringue in, snip a 1-inch opening, and pipe small kisses onto the baking sheet. For solid colors, gently fold the food coloring into the meringue before filling the bag.
- Bake at 200°F (95°C) for 30–40 minutes, until the kisses lift easily from the parchment with their bases intact.
- Let the meringues cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Notes
Adapted from The Meringue Girls Cookbook (Chronicle Books, 2014).