Meringue Christmas Tree

Everyone’ll be sweet on these light-as-air tidbits — they’re gluten-free and almost too pretty to eat.

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• ¼ tsp. salt
• Green liquid food coloring
• 1 (7”) Styrofoam cone
• Round toothpicks, halved
• 1 (1”) iced star shaped cookie
• Silver dragées
• ½ cup light green candy melts, melted
• White sparkling sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 200°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On medium speed, beat egg whites until frothy, 2 min. On medium-high, slowly beat in sugar until stiff peaks form, 5–6 min. On low, beat in almond extract and salt. Tint green with food coloring.
2. Transfer batter to pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe about 20 (½”) meringue rosettes onto pan, spacing 1″ apart. Pipe 1¼” meringue rosettes with remaining batter, spacing 1″ apart. Bake until dry to touch and meringues lift off paper easily, about 2 hrs. Turn off oven; let meringues stand in oven with door closed, 1 hr. Remove from oven; let cool.
3. Wrap cone in plastic wrap. Starting from bottom, insert one toothpick halfway in cone; press on large meringue. Repeat to cover cone. Insert toothpick half into star cookie; insert at top. Attach mini meringues and dragées with candy melts. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.