Unicorn meringue cookies

Melts in your mouth delicious and beautiful meringue cookies are easy to make

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We like to have a lot of baking fun in my family’s kitchen. My daughter is always looking for new ways to have me incorporate unicorns and bright colors into my recipes. I actually love it because it keeps me constantly trying out and coming up with creative new treat ideas. The creative recipes always turn out more festive (and fun) than the traditional ones. So it was only a matter of time before I added a unicorn twist to the ever-delightful meringue cookie.

Simple meringue cookies are usually just white, though sometimes you can find recipes with sprinkles added or a mix of different colored cookies, but not usually with colors twisted together. Either way, they are super easy and fun to make. To get that magical unicorn/fairy tale look I decided that twisted, pale colors would be the way to go. I find that by adding the extra bold or pastel colors to my desserts it takes them to the next level and makes them undeniably eye-catching. And as for my daughter, of course she loves them!

To make delicious unicorn meringue cookies you need: 1 cup powdered sugar, 4 egg whites, a pinch of salt, ¼ tsp. cream of tartar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and some fun food coloring. Whip together and transfer to some pastry piping bags lined with tips. Distribute and bake cookies at 200°F for a magical delight!

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Meringue Cookie Ingredients and Tools

Start by gathering what you need for this baking project. This unicorn meringue cookie recipe only requires a few ingredients and tools but each has a specific purpose to move through the process smoothly. For mouth-watering meringues you need:

Meringue Cookie Ingredients: 

• Egg whites
• Powdered sugar
• Salt
• Cream of tartar
• Vanilla extract
• Food coloring – pink (red), blue, and yellow

Cookie Equipment:

• Kitchen mixer
• Spatulas
• Glass mixing bowl
• Blending whisk
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper sheets – do not skip these!
• Piping bags
• Piping bag ties
• Jumbo piping tips – for better shapes and swirls.

Making the Meringue Magic Happen

Making these unicorn meringue cookies is so easy and can be a ton of fun to try out. It is basically just mix, pipe, and bake, but I will go over all the details and tips to make sure you can make your meringue cookies with confidence.

• Start by preheating the oven to 200°F and begin to mix the ingredients.
  
• First, add the egg whites into a mixing bowl and use the kitchen mixer to begin beating them. Begin on the low setting and slowly increase the speed to high.
  
• Add in the salt and cream of tartar.
  
• Next, gradually add in the powdered sugar 1 tbsp at a time and mix.
  
• Once the sugar is mixed in well, add the vanilla.
  
• Beat all the ingredients together on high speed until your meringue can hold a nice peak.
  
• After the ingredients are mixed well, divide the meringue evenly into three glass bowls.
  
• Then, use a toothpick to add in a small amount of food coloring and beat with a blending whisk.
  • For this particular recipe I want to use pale colors to achieve that magical look. To get that effect, using a toothpick to get just a little bit of food coloring is better than dropping in the food coloring directly.
    
• Next, it’s time to transfer the meringue to piping bags lined with metal piping tips. Transfer one large scoop of each color- one at a time- into a bag, alternating between the colors. Make sure not to leave any air bubbles inside of the piping bags!
  • For example, you can start with one scoop of pink, then one of blue, and finally, a scoop of yellow. Repeat the process until the bag is ready to be tied off with the bag ties.
  • Kitchen Tip: I prefer using jumbo piping tips in my recipes because they produce a better swirl and cookie shape.
    
• Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and pipe meringues along the parchment.
  • This is not one of those recipes to skip the parchment paper on- you want to be able to easily lift these delicate meringue cookies from the sheet later on, trust me!

Finally, bake cookies for 1 hour, then let the cookies cool in the oven. Cool for 1 additional hour or leave in overnight. Make sure to keep the oven door closed during the cooling process!

Magical Gifts and Party Treats

Just by taking a look at these little cuties, a plethora of gift and party ideas start to come to mind. Like how perfect are these unicorn meringue cookies for a little girl’s tea party?! This recipe makes quite a large batch so it truly is a fun food idea that is great for sharing. Package them up nicely in a paper pastry box and they make a colorful homemade gift. This batch is also the perfect size to eat some now and save some for later. 

Just a few ideas to consider:

• Fun birthday party treats for the kids! (Call it Unicorn Poop for added enjoyment!)
• Perfect for tea parties or picnics.
• Wonderful small food gift ideas for friends or loved ones.
• Exciting addition to party favor gift bags for birthday parties, weddings, holiday get-togethers, school events, or whatever else may come up.
• Treat your coworkers to a colorful cookie surprise.
• Package them up and deliver smiles around your neighborhood.
• Store them for later! Meringue cookies can be kept in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks. Be sure to keep them stored in a cool, dry place. 
  • Or try keeping them in the freezer. Layer the cookies in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper and store for up to 3 months. Mark the date to keep up with freshness.
  • To thaw frozen meringue cookies, remove them from the container and leave out -undisturbed- on the counter at room temperature until completely thawed, this should take a few hours.

These unicorn meringue cookies bring out the bright, youthful colors of childhood magic. That may be one of the reasons these turn out so irresistible. Well, that and the fact that they just melt blissfully away in your mouth…and that they are so easy to make. Everything about them just swirls together nicely to create a one-of-a-kind cookie. Guaranteed to make your kid’s next birthday party a hit! Really though, you do not have to wait for a party to try out these unicorn meringue cookies, surprise them just for the fun of it…and for the smiles.

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