Raspberry Rose Meringues

A raspberry rose meringue by any other name would taste just as sweet!

A Raspberry Rose Meringue by any other name would taste just as sweet!

Update the tradition of giving a loved one flowers with this simple recipe for Raspberry Rose Meringues. Since the dawn of time, flowers have been seen as a beautiful way to express love and gratitude. And with these gorgeous cookies, you can put a twist on a timeless gift that will be not only be appreciated for it’s beauty, but also for how tasty they are. Delicate yet crispy, these meringues add the perfect texture to the sweet and fragrant flavor of raspberries. Once made, these beauties would look incredible in pretty packaging with beautiful gift tags like these. From Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day, this would make the perfect gift for someone you love!

Delicate yet crispy, these meringues add the perfect texture to the sweet and fragrant flavor of raspberries.

Raspberry Rose Meringues are so beautiful and simple to make!

Raspberry Rose Meringues

Yield: 50 cookies (approximate)

Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes

4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar*
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. raspberry extract
5-10 drops red food coloring (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 175 F / 80 C. Place a layer of parchment paper on two cookie sheets and reserve.
2) In a mixer fitted with a stainless steel or glass bowl, whisk together the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt over a medium speed until foamy (about 2 minutes).*
3) While continuing to whisk, slowly add the powdered sugar. Stop to scrape the sides if necessary. Increase the mixer speed to high, then whisk until the mixture begins to look glossy and stiff peaks begin to form (about 5 minutes).
4) Add the raspberry extract and food coloring, then beat until just incorporated. Do not over-mix.
5) Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (such as a 1M Open Star Decorating Tip).
6) Pipe roses in rows directly onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet, leaving about a 0.5″/1.5 cm space between each meringue. To make a rose, begin by piping a small dollop of the mixture into the center of an imaginary circle. Next, slowly move your tip around your starting point, like a spiral. Keep growing the spiral until the diameter reaches about 2″/5 cm. To close the loop, gently lift the tip up and quickly pull away.
7) Bake for 2 hours until the meringues are dry (note: if you’re in a humid environment, let them cool in the turned-off oven for another hour to help ensure they come out crisp). Store at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to a month. DO NOT refrigerate (or they will turn soggy!).

To pipe a rose, begin in the center with a small dollop, and then move the star tip around in a spiral motion. To close the loop, gently lift the tip up and quickly pull away.

To pipe a rose, begin in the center with a small dollop, and then move the star tip around in a spiral motion. To close the loop, gently lift the tip up and quickly pull away.

* Chef’s Tip: When making a meringue, the goal is to create a light airy foam that will become stable, almost like Styrofoam. In the above recipe, I’ve assumed you’re using a stainless steel or glass bowl, which is why the cream of tartar has been added as it’s an important ingredient that will help the egg whites aerate.  If you are a fancy chef who has a copper bowl, omit the cream of tartar as it will react with the copper and produce a less-than-desired result! Also, avoid using a plastic bowl, as plastic will actually cause a thin film of egg whites to stick to the surface, resulting in  a poor  incorporation of air.

Gifting Idea:

These meringues will keep in a container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks in a dry environment. Alternatively, you can freeze them for up to a month. Whatever you do, DO NOT put them in the refrigerator as they will soften due to the moisture inside (believe it or not, a fridge is very humid, whereas the freezer is quite dry).

For gifting ideas, try to showcase the beauty of these edible flowers by packaging them up into something clear or translucent with a pretty tag. Lucky for all of us, my talented friend Lia Griffith has posted some beautiful tags to decorate your gifts for this Valentine’s Day! Be sure to stop by her site and take this gift to the next level!

Create a stunning looking gift with Lia Griffith's beautiful packaging ideas and gorgeous free labels at LiaGriffith.com!

Create a stunning looking gift with Lia Griffith’s beautiful packaging ideas and gorgeous free designs at LiaGriffith.com!

31 thoughts on “Raspberry Rose Meringues

  1. Pingback: Gift Wrapping for Raspberry Rose Meringues | Lia Griffith

  2. Melissa, it is indeed a beautiful gift to everyone’s eye and taste, I especially appreciate your chef’s tip, which is extremely helpful if your bloggers/readers are not good at cooking, or it is not their cultural food, it takes courage to try out different varieties, I am glad that Lia introduce you to us - it is such a blessing to the ones who teach and the ones who learn.

    • It is so nice to hear that you’ve found my chef’s tip helpful! I truly want others to be successful with a recipe, and it’s fun to share any interesting tips to help them out. Thank you so much for taking the time to write, Edna. I’m so glad you stopped by!

    • Excellent question Darla!

      In a dry environment, meringues should keep up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. However, if you are surrounded by a lot of humidity (i.e. it’s rainy outside, etc.), they could get soggy within a day or so. If you’re in that situation, let them cool in the turned-off oven for another hour to help ensure they come out crisp.

      Once made, you can prolong the shelf life by freezing them for up to a month. Whatever you do, DO NOT put them in the refrigerator as they will soften due to the moisture inside (believe it or not, a fridge is very humid, whereas the freezer is quite dry).

      I hope that helps and do send any more questions my way! I always love learning and chatting about the science behind food🙂
      ~ Melissa

      PS: Thanks to your great question, I’ve updated this post to incorporate these tips.

  3. Melissa, what a gorgeous blog and such beautiful photography. I love these meringues, must make them soon. Susan sent me an email with your request, happy to help.

  4. That might be a dumb question, but since they cannot be refrigerated, how are they defrosted? I normally defrost food in the refrigerator…

    • That’s a great question! Just leave them out at room temperature to thaw and they should be ok. As long as they didn’t absorb any moisture from the freezer, they should come out nice and dry. Hope that helps!

  5. Pingback: The 12 Best Sweet Treats for Mother's Day! - From Brazil To You

  6. Hi! I’m making these right now and I’m having problems with them sticking to the parchment paper. They seem crispy on the top. Any ideas on what to do?

    • Hi Jessica! It sounds Iike it could be due to a humid climate, which is keeping the batch from crisping up 100%. I would recommend cooking them a little longer (checking every 15-20 minutes) to ensure the bottoms finish cooking. It’s unlikely the top will burn as the oven temperature should be low enough, but do keep an eye on them. Hope that helps!

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