Meringue Snowmen

Meringue snowmen are an easy Christmas cookie made from just egg whites, sugar and a little chocolate, piped into little stacks and dried crisp. That makes them a make ahead cookie tray pick for Christmas parties, school treats or gift tins, since they hold for days in a sealed container.

Whisk the whites and sugar over simmering water until a thermometer reads 140 degrees and the mixture feels completely smooth. Stop early and undissolved sugar weeps out as syrup beads while the snowmen dry.

This is a Swiss meringue, warmed before whipping rather than whipped cold, so it is far more stable and holds a piped shape without slumping. There is no flour and no butter anywhere, which makes these gluten free and fat free apart from the chocolate hat.

Line two baking sheets, not one. The recipe says to line a single sheet, yet it also tells you to set racks in the upper and lower thirds, and at the inch of spacing it asks for a half sheet pan only holds about 25 snowmen. Forty needs both pans going in together.

FAQs

How many snowmen fit on one baking sheet?

About 25, not 40. Each snowman is roughly 1 1/3 inches wide and a little over 2 inches tall, and the recipe wants an inch between them. That gives five across and five down on a half sheet pan, so pipe the batch across two sheets and bake them at the same time.

Why do my meringues weep or go sticky?

Undissolved sugar is the usual cause, so heat the whites and sugar to 140 degrees and rub a little between your fingers to check for grit. Humidity is the other one, since meringue pulls moisture from the air. Store them with a silica packet and they stay crisp.

Can I use a different piping tip?

A plain round tip around a third of an inch gives the smooth snowball shape, and anything much smaller makes the piping slow and the mounds spiky. A star tip changes the look entirely into ridged cones. A zip top bag with a corner snipped works in a pinch.

Are meringue snowmen gluten free?

Yes, there is no flour anywhere in them, only egg white, sugar, salt and chocolate. Check that your chocolate chips are labelled gluten free and the whole cookie is safe. For another naturally flour free option, our zimtsterne German cinnamon stars use ground almonds instead.

How far ahead can I make them?

Several days, stored in a single layer in an airtight container with a few silica gel packets. Do not stack them, because the weight cracks the lower ones and the chocolate marks the meringue. Pack them beside sturdier cookies like our almond snowball cookies rather than on top.