Christmas Eve Cookies

Directions

1. Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at a high speed until foamy. Add the powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is glossy and has stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and divide mixture in half.

2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray them with baking spray.

3. Divide the first amount of mixture – adding red food color to 2/3^rd of the meringue and leaving 1/3^rd of the meringue white. Put them in separate piping bags. On the first baking sheet, with a medium open tip, pipe a triangle shape for Santa’s hat. Using the remaining white meringue, pipe the trim on the hat and decorate with colored sugars.

4. Divide the second amount of mixture – adding orange food color to 2/3^rd of the meringue and adding green food color to 1/3^rd of the meringue. Put them in separate piping bags. On the second baking sheet, with a medium open tip, pipe the orange meringue in the shape of a carrot about 2” long, starting at the base and pulling away from the paper for the tip (you should get roughly eighteen).

5. With the green meringue and a leaf tip, make 2-3 carrot tops attached to the carrot. Bake both sheets on two racks at 225°F for 40-50 minutes. They should be mostly dry. Turn off the oven and let them cool inside the oven.

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, plus extra if needed
• 1 tsp. clear vanilla
• Red, orange and green food coloring
• Colored decorator sugars