MERINGUE DRAGON COOKIES FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR
I was born in the year of the dragon, and I really wanted to find some fun ways to celebrate Chinese New Year this year. I searched for Chinese New Year desserts, but didn’t have much luck. I did find these dragon cookies, which looked amazing, but which sounded difficult to me. So I decided to see if I could recreate the idea in meringue. And as you can see, it worked!
Meringue dragon cookies
For the dragon cookies, I used a basic meringue recipe that I’ve used before for other kinds of meringue cookies (see my meringue mushroom cookies).
What you’ll need
- Egg whites at room temperature
- Cream of tartar
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Red food coloring
- Piping bag and star shaped piping tip
The more uneven the dragons, the more realistic they look. Each one was completely unique.
I hope you have fun making these easy meringue dragon cookies!
Here’s more to learn about about Chinese New Year and its traditions: Chinese New Year facts.
MERINGUE DRAGON COOKIES FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR
Course: DessertDifficulty: EasyA basic meringue recipe is shaped into fun dragon shapes.
Ingredients
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red food coloring
Directions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites, cream of tartar and salt.
Start beating slowly. Increase speed when it becomes foamy. - Slowly add sugar in 1 tablespoon increments, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla. Beat on high until stiff peaks form and the meringue is thick and shiny.
- Spoon meringue into piping bag fitted with piping tip.
- Squeeze meringue into snake-like shapes, lifting up at the end to try to get a head on it. After it’s squeezed into shape, use fork to create peaks along the dragons’ backs.
- Back in oven for 1 hour.
- Turn off oven and leave in the oven for 2 hours or longer.
- When completely dry, use a toothpick to dot red food coloring for the eyes. Allow to dry.
Notes
- You’ll need a piping bag and star shaped piping tip.
