This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplendaHoliday #CollectiveBias

You know how you are always seeing those amazing videos go around Facebook with the gorgeous cookies people are making that take about a bazillion steps to get the final result?  My daughter is obsessed with watching these videos and earlier this year we came across a video for some meringue cookies that were the absolutely prettiest things we have ever seen.  We must have watched the video a million times and swore someday we would make them.  I’ve lost the video a long time ago but haven’t forgotten about how much we wanted to make some beautiful meringue cookies.  Well, I’ve been thinking pretty much nonstop about what type of cookies I want to make for our cookie exchange and had this brilliant idea pop into my head to make some Santa Hat Meringue cookies.

I did some research to find a general idea of how to actually make meringue.  Then I headed to Walmart.  You guys – making meringue is so much easier than I thought.  There are only a few ingredients and they are all easy to find.  I have a ton of sugar but really wanted to try something different so I tried some SPLENDA® in place of sugar.  I was able to find it at Walmart in the baking aisle.  

If you need another reason to try swapping out SPLENDA® for sugar in your favorite recipes, here’s a chance to win $500 in Walmart Gift cards.  Only a few entries and you can get everything you need for your favorite recipes at Walmart.

J&J Holiday Baking with Splenda

Santa Hat Meringue Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

Note:  Multiply all measurements by 2 because you will need to make 2 separate batches

• 3/4 cup SPLENDA® – I picked up the big bag and it’s resealable

• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter seasoning

• egg whites from 3 large eggs {not going to lie – I use the store bought egg white carton stuff. It told me the equivalent to 3 large eggs and I like simple}

• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract {or other flavor extract like peppermint}

• red food coloring – buy the large jar or a few tubes, it takes a lot to get a deep red color

• parchment paper

• plastic baggies or piping for decorating

• electric mixer – you do not want to make these if you don’t have one

Directions

Preheat over to 200 degrees.   In a mixing bowl, add egg whites and cream of tarter.  Using your electric mixer, mix mix mix.  Keep mixing until you get soft peaks in your mixture.  You will know when it’s ready because the texture really changes from a bubbly foam into a little thicker mixture.  Here’s what it should look like at this point.  The key to meringue is in the mixing. Now, add SPLENDA® a little at a time while mixing.  I like to use a measuring spoon and add in about 1 tablespoon at a time with my left hand while I mix with my right since I have a hand mixer.  Continue mixing for awhile until the peaks formed become stiff.  You will notice that the texture and look changes and the mixture will now appear shiny, almost like melted marshmallow cream. Now add in your vanilla extract or whatever flavor you choose.  I made some peppermint flavored meringue cookies but there are a lot of peppermint haters so I went back to the vanilla.  Mix thoroughly, roughly 30 seconds to 1 minute.   For the first batch, you are done.  Spoon it into a plastic sealable bag, close it up and cut a small hole in the corner. For the second batch, now is when you add the red food coloring.  I used over half of a bottle of red food coloring plus some red gel coloring to get a good red.  Use your mixer and continue mixing and adding red food coloring until you have the desired color.  Here’s my word of warning……..if you have the bottle of food coloring sitting out next to the bottle of peppermint extract, pay attention to what you grab.  I didn’t notice my red got knocked over and just grabbed.  I didn’t notice until I dumped in almost half the bottle of extract.  It completely ruined it and I had to start over.  Whoops!     Now, spoon this into a second plastic sealable bag.  Close it and cut a small hole in the corner.   Place parchment paper on cookie sheet.   Now – onto the design part.  Beginning with the white meringue, place five drops in a line touching each other.  Then using the red meringue, create your Santa hat.  I went back and forth from left to right, angling off to the side at the top.  Then add your drop of white meringue to the tip of the hat.  In the video you can see exactly how I do it step by step.

Find the #recipe for these adorable and tasty #Santa hat meringue #cookies #yummy #Christmas #Christmascookies #SplendaHoliday AD #ontheblog #OurPieceOfEarthBlog A video posted by Our Piece of Earth (@summers1405) on Nov 30, 2015 at 2:13pm PST

Bake at 200 degrees for 70-90 minutes.  I know it’s a wide range, but because I made the cookies flat on the sheet instead of up in a spiral shape, they didn’t take quite as long to cook and most batches were done around 70 minutes.

Eat and enjoy!  I have no clue why I was so excited to make meringue, I was sure I had had it before and loved it but I don’t think I’d ever had any before except on pie.  It is so delicious!!!  Plus, because I used SPLENDA® in place of sugar, I can enjoy a sweet treat without all of the calories of sugar…….you know, because as it turns out, you cannot just eat one meringue Santa Hat cookie.

Save Print

Santa Hat Meringue Cookies Recipe

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  90 mins

Total time:  1 hour 45 mins

Ingredients

• Multiply all ingredients by 2 - one for red, one for white
• 3 large egg whites {or 9 tbsp egg whites in a carton}
• ¼ tsp cream of tarter sauce
• ¾ cup SPLENDA®
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract or peppermint extract
• Red food coloring
• Electric mixer

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. Add 3 large egg whites to a mixing bowl
3. Add ¼ tsp cream of tarter sauce
4. Mix until it forms soft peaks
5. Slowly add SPLENDA® while mixing, adding only a small bit at a time and ensuring it is mixed well
6. Continue mixing until it forms stiff peaks and becomes shiny
7. Add vanilla or peppermint extract and mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
8. Place mixture into a sealable baggie and cut small hole in corner.
9. Repeat entire process a second time, before placing this mixture into baggie, add a lot of red food coloring to get the desired red color. Then place into baggie and cut small hole in corner.
10. Using white mixture, place 5 drops together in a straight line. Then add white to form Santa hat. Add one more white drop at the tip of the hat.
11. Bake in oven for 70-90 minutes. Do not let it brown.

3.5.3208

Find more  Sweet Swaps™ Recipes and let me know what recipe you will be making for your next holiday celebration.