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Chocolate Dipped Meringue Trees

Chocolate dipped meringue trees are piped into stacked star shapes, baked low and slow, then finished with a smooth semisweet chocolate coating. Their crisp, glossy shells make a festive bite-sized dessert.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 16 minutes
Cooling and setting 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 6 minutes
Servings: 18 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 91
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the meringue
  • 3 egg whites large, room temperature
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 tsp cream of tartar
  • 0.125 tsp salt fine
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 green gel food coloring as needed
For the chocolate coating
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 6 ounces
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

Equipment

  • 1 18x13-inch baking sheet
  • 1 electric mixer
  • 1 microwave

Method
 

Make the meringue
  1. Heat the oven to 200°F.
  2. Line an 18x13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt.
  4. Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
  5. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 160°F, about 4 to 6 minutes.
  6. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and the bowl feels cool, about 7 to 10 minutes.
  7. Beat in the vanilla and a few drops of green gel food coloring until evenly colored.
  8. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large open-star tip.
  9. Pipe 18 trees, each made of three progressively smaller star-shaped mounds stacked to a point.
  10. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meringues feel dry and lift cleanly from the parchment.
  11. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for 1 hour to cool and dry.
Make the chocolate coating
  1. Microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl at 50% power in 20-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until smooth.
  2. Dip the base of each fully cooled meringue tree into the chocolate, then set it back on the parchment.
  3. Let the chocolate firm at room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Notes

For the best crisp texture, make sure the meringues feel dry and lift cleanly from the parchment before cooling them in the turned-off oven. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days; refrigerate for up to 3 days if needed, though moisture may soften them. Freezing is not recommended. Use dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips for a dairy-free variation.