Hold the piping bag straight up, about an inch away from the parchment-lined baking sheet; starting with the tip touching the baking sheet can result in squat, compressed meringues. Applying even pressure, lightly press the bag to pipe the meringue, twisting in an upward motion. It might take a few cookies to get a hang of the motion, but with practice, it’ll become second-nature.
How to make colorful striped meringue cookies:
Break out the paintbrushes. If you love a good art project, this recipe for peppermint meringues is for you. Striping the inside of the piping bag with food coloring results in pretty, candy cane-like meringues, with the flavor to match from a hint of peppermint extract (I like this one from Nielsen-Massey).
To stripe the inside of the piping bag, you’ll want to use a very thin paintbrush. I prefer to use liqui-gel food coloring here, like this one from Chefmaster, which has a much stronger color than the regular thimble-sized dropper bottles you’ll find at the supermarket. If you want to try out multiple colors (or plan to decorate holiday sugar cookies with the family), it’s worth investing in a set of assorted hues.
Squeeze a few drops of food coloring into a small bowl, then dip your paintbrush in and pipe 4 thin, equally-spaced lines (about the width of a toothpick) up the inside of the piping bag. For the most dramatic color, extend the stripes all the way down to the piping tip. Fill your striped piping bag with meringue as usual, then pipe for swirly-twirly striped meringue cookies.
You can try this technique with any flavored extract or food coloring. I’ve made these striped meringues with lavender extract and purple food coloring, but the options are endless. Try sunshine-yellow meringues flavored with bright, citrusy fiori di sicilia, or green-striped meringues perfumed with floral cardamom extract. (If you’re changing up the flavor, keep in mind that some extracts are stronger than others.) You can also use two different colors, alternating the stripes for two-toned meringues. Let your inner artist break free.
How to make meringue cookies without a piping bag:
Don’t have a pastry bag? You can still make these meringue cookies. For a more rustic look, use a two-ounce cookie scoop or two spoons to dollop the meringue into small mounds on the baking sheet. Or for a makeshift pastry bag, fill a gallon-size resealable plastic bag with meringue, and snip off a corner.
How to dip meringues:
Striped peppermint meringues may win the most presentation points, but these chocolate meringues were an instant staff favorite. Flavored with a smidge of cocoa powder, they look and taste just like the top of a Wendy’s frosty (in the best way possible). Dipping the bottom third of the meringues in melted chocolate heightens the cocoa flavor and gives these meringues an extra elegant look. You can dip vanilla or peppermint meringues in chocolate too, but we particularly love these chocolate-on-chocolate cookies.
To dip your meringues, first melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or over a double-boiler. The coconut oil in the chocolate mixture adds shine and helps it harden quickly, Magic Shell-style. Dip the bottom half of the baked, fully cooled meringues in the melted chocolate mixture, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Set them on a baking sheet to dry. To help the chocolate dip set faster, stash a parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer, then set the dipped meringues on the cold baking sheet.