“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” Meringue Pops

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” Meringue Pops

By Jaina Patel of Cocoa and Silk 



For as long as I can remember, Christmas has been and always will be my faaaaaavourite holiday EVER. There are so many reasons why; but being with all my family for an extended period of festive fun is the number one! Our family and friends have gotten together on Christmas day ever since I was born, and as we grew in size and age, we ended up moving the celebrations from a family house to a hotel. For the last 11 years we have celebrated Christmas at a London hotel – we drive up during the day, go swimming with all the little ones, and then get ready for the big party which includes delicious food, hilarious dancing and an obligatory visit from Santa to give everyone their present! And yes, whether you are 2 or 82, you sit on Santa’s lap to get your present! It is truly the most magical time of the year for me and makes me so thankful to have such a loving and wonderful family. That’s what makes this blog series so special and fun for me!

I wanted to create something that can be made with the family as a fun festive activity, and enjoyed by adults and children alike, and hence these meringue pops were born! “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” has always been one of my top seasonal songs because it instantly makes me happy when I hear it and I cannot help but sing along, so I just knew that the pops had to be piped in a tree shape. They are so quick to come together, and the gorgeous crispy-yet-chewy meringue can be eaten on its own or enjoyed crushed up within an Eton Mess dessert or delicious parfait.

But we all know that what really makes these meringue pops stand out from the crowd is the beautiful sprinkles on top! I wanted to use the Rockefeller mix as soon as I decided on making tree pops, because it immediately reminded me of the always amazing Rockefeller Centre tree in New York. With the base of the sprinkle mix being white I knew it would go perfectly with the silky smooth white meringue, but I also LOVE the pops of red throughout the mix, the stunning bright silver dragées, and of course those incredible mini candy canes!

I so hope you all try these, they’re so versatile and such a fun way to bring some sprinkly magic to Christmas. The video below shows a little insight into the decorating process, enjoy! X

Recipe

Yield: Makes 6 Pops

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Cooling Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1. 150g egg whites
2. 300g granulated sugar
3. Paper straws
4. 4oz bottle of Rockefeller sprinkle mix

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚F
2. Add the egg whites into a bowl of a stand mixer, and start to mix on low until bubbles form
3. Slowly increase the speed and mix until the egg whites form soft peaks. Be careful not to increase the speed too quickly else the meringue may collapse – it may take anywhere from 5 to 10 mins to reach soft peaks
4. Once it reaches soft peaks, add a spoonful of sugar at a time allowing the mixture to form peaks again between each addition
5. Add all the sugar and keep whisking on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. You will know if the meringue is ready if you can tip the bowl upside down and it doesn’t move. It takes around 5 to 8 mins after adding all the sugar for the mixture to be fully ready!
6. Place the mixture into a piping bag fitted with the Wilton 1M tip
7. Pipe a tiny amount of the meringue onto the corners of non-stick tray, and then attach a piece of baking paper onto the tray. The meringue will keep the paper in place so that it doesn’t move in the oven
8. Pipe a small dollop of the meringue onto the baking paper, then place a straw down before piping a triangle tree shape on the straw and paper. Repeat until you use up all of the meringue
9. Add the Rockefeller mix and some silver leaf
10. Place into the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour
11. After 1 hour, turn the oven off with the meringues still inside and leave the door slightly ajar for a further hour
12. Remove from the oven, add a fondant star to the tip of the meringue pop, and enjoy!

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