Guest Post: Meringue Santa Hats by The Bearfoot Baker

So, did you know that newborns take up, like, ALL of your time? I consider the day a win if I brush my teeth AND put on a new shirt! To make things a bit easier while the wee one is still…well…wee, I’ve enlisted a couple wonderfully talented bloggers to share fun recipes with you! First up is Lisa from The Bearfoot Baker, who is the sweetest gal you could ever hope to meet. Plus, she is uber talented to boot (check out these AMAZING Santa cookies that can hang on your mug!)

Take it away, Lisa!

Hi! My name is Lisa and am the baker and cookie maker over at The Bearfoot Baker Blog . I am so happy to be here today because I am a huge fan of Jennifer. I fell in love with her and her style the first time I saw something she made. We have become blog friends and I am so thankful for that. When she asked me to do a guest post for her, I was very excited and knew I wanted to make something she would love. I remembered seeing her Candy Cane Surprise Meringues and knew I wanted to make Santa hat meringues.

I love to make meringues because they are very easy to make with only three ingredients.

Supplies for Meringue Santa Hats:
4 egg whites room temperature
3/4 cup of sugar
1-2 drops of peppermint oil
Wilton “No Taste Red” Icing Color
Ateco Large Cupcake Decorating tips: I used the largest French Star and the largest Round tip from this set.
Edible Snowflake Candy-I have seen these at Michael’s, Joann’s and Cracker Barrel

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place the egg whites into a mixer attached with the whisk attachment until the egg whites are stiff enough to form peaks. Add the sugar and peppermint flavoring and mix for about a minute and a half.

• Divide the meringue into 2 bowls.
• Color one with the red gel paste until you get the desired red you want. AmeriColor Super Red will have a bit of a bitter taste to it so I prefer to use the Wilton “No Taste Red.”
• Place the white meringue into a piping bag fitted with the large round tip.
• Place the red meringue into a piping bag fitted with the large French star tip.
• Pipe white circles onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

For the top of the hat:

• Pipe the red meringue onto the white circles.
• Hold the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet.
• With the tip close to the white meringue, apply gentle pressure to the piping bag letting the red meringue reach the edges of the white circle.
• Continue to squeeze as you slowly lift the bag away from the baking sheet.
• Stop applying pressure and give a quick pull to form a peak at the top of the hat.

• Bake the meringue Santa Hats for 2 hours and let cool to room temperatures.
• Once they cool, cut a slit into the top with a sharp knife.
• Add a snowflake and step back and admire your work.

These are very easy to make and your guests will love them.

Thanks so much Jennifer for allowing me to hang out with you all today. I had a blast!

Merry Christmas,
Lisa