I love blood orange recipes, and I’m equally fond of meringues. So, with help from Anissa—our talented intern and an excellent baker—we combined the two to create delicate blood orange vanilla bean meringues for a virtual holiday cookie swap you can join.
A group of blogging friends has organized this virtual exchange, and each of us is sharing a festive cookie recipe (or something cookie-like). You’ll find all participants linked at the end of this post, and you can also find everyone’s contributions by searching the hashtag #christmascookiesquad. Feel free to join the fun by tagging your cookie photos or recipes with the same hashtag this season.
Here’s the blood orange vanilla bean meringue recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup granulated sugar (or ¾ cup caster sugar)
- 3 egg whites
- 3 teaspoons meringue powder
- ¾ cup sugar (measured after processing granulated sugar if using)
- 1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped)
- 2 tablespoons blood orange Italian soda or 1 teaspoon blood orange extract
- 1 large pastry bag
- Large round piping tip (Ateco 808 or 809)
- Red gel food coloring
- Food-safe paint brush
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°F (about 80°C). Juice the lemon and use a towel with a bit of lemon juice to wipe the mixing bowl and whisk to remove any grease.
If you don’t have caster sugar, place 1 cup granulated sugar in a food processor and pulse for 5–10 minutes until it’s very fine. Measure out ¾ cup from the processed sugar for the meringue.
With the mixer on low, beat the egg whites until large bubbles disappear and foam begins to form, about 2 minutes. Increase to medium speed and continue for about 3 minutes until the mixture turns white and you can see ridges.
Add 3 teaspoons of meringue powder, then add the sugar one spoonful at a time while the mixer runs. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks—when you turn the bowl upside down, the meringue should stay in place.
Reduce the mixer to medium speed and add the scraped vanilla bean seeds and the blood orange soda or extract. Mix just until incorporated.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the piping bag by cutting the tip, inserting the round piping tip, and using a food-safe paint brush to paint small red stripes up the inside of the bag for a festive marbled look. Transfer the meringue into the prepared bag.
Hold the piping bag straight up about an inch above the parchment and pipe a Hershey-kiss-shaped mound, releasing pressure at the top to create a pretty peak. Repeat, spacing the meringues comfortably apart.
Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool inside the oven for at least an hour—overnight is even better to ensure they dry completely.
Meringue recipe by Anissa Saxton
Photography and styling by Brittni Mehlhoff
Below is the list of cookie recipes shared by bloggers who joined this year’s swap—plenty of inspiration if you’re planning a holiday baking session:
- Leah from Freutcake: Linzer Christmas Cookies
- Chelsea from Lovely Indeed: Elf Quote Christmas Cookies
- Ashley from Sugar & Cloth: Everything Sweet Sugar Cookies
- Eden from Sugar and Charm: Candy Cane Peppermint Bark Fudge
- Kelly from Studio DIY: Color Dipped Gingerbread Cookies
- Cyd from The Sweetest Occasion: Italian Meatball Cookies
- Jen from The Effortless Chic: Simple Almond Raspberry Cookies
- Michael from Inspired by Charm: Cream Wafer Tree Cookies
- Julie from Julie Blanner: Peppermint Drops
Will you give these meringues a try? If you’re browsing the list above, I’m eager to try the color-dipped gingerbread cookies and the peppermint bark fudge—delicious holiday ideas to add to your baking plans.