Meringue Flower Cookies: Delicate Butter Cutouts Topped With Piped Meringue and a Jam Center

Meringue flower cookies are among the prettiest cookies you can bake for the holidays: a tender butter dough base, a ring of crisp piped meringue and a bright jam center.

The recipe is inspired by Burgenland (Austrian) Christmas baking, where cookies like this go on the Christmas tray. The combination of buttery cookie, crunchy baked meringue and tart apricot or rose hip jam is balanced. They need patience while whipping the meringue, but they impress every guest on a holiday table.

At a Glance

• Prep time: 40 min
• Baking time: 15 min
• Chilling: 3 hours for the dough, 30 minutes for the meringue
• Servings: about 40 cookies
• Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Sift the flour onto a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Crack the egg into the well and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Scatter the softened butter, cut into pieces, around the edge. With two bench scrapers, chop the butter into the dry ingredients first, then quickly knead everything by hand into a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours so the butter firms up again.
2. Sift the powdered sugar through a fine sieve into a separate bowl. Put the egg whites and the pinch of salt in a clean bowl and beat for about 3 minutes until they form stiff white peaks. Then, while still beating, add the sifted powdered sugar a spoonful at a time and keep beating for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the meringue is perfectly firm, glossy and does not run. Chill the meringue for 30 minutes.
3. Roll the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. With a flower-shaped cutter 2 to 2 1/4 inches (5 to 6 cm) across, cut out flowers and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Fill a piping bag fitted with a small star tip with the chilled meringue. Pipe small meringue peaks around the edge of each cookie, leaving a dip in the center for the jam.
5. Bake in an oven preheated to 340°F (170°C) for about 15 minutes, watching that the meringue does not brown. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes after baking, then move them to a rack to cool completely.
6. Put the rose hip and apricot jams in a piping bag and fill the centers of the cooled flowers generously.

Video Recipe

Tips for Perfect Meringue Flower Cookies

• Beat the meringue long enough. Beating for the full 10 to 15 minutes dissolves the sugar completely and gives a firm, stable meringue that keeps its shape when piped and does not spread in the oven.
• Chill the dough. Three hours in the refrigerator lets the butter firm up, so the cutouts keep their shape.
• Do not let the meringue brown. If the meringue starts to color, the cookies are baking too hot; watch them from the 10-minute mark.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• How do I store meringue flower cookies so they stay crisp? Once baked and filled, store them in an airtight tin or plastic container in a cool, dry place. They stay fresh and crisp for 1 to 2 weeks.
• Why do I have to beat the meringue for up to 15 minutes? Long beating dissolves the sugar in the egg whites and builds a firm, stable structure. That is why the piped meringue holds its shape and does not run in the oven.
• What if I cannot find rose hip jam? Use any smooth, seedless jam. Raspberry, strawberry, apricot or red currant all work well; strain the jam if it has seeds or chunks of fruit.
• Can I make the dough ahead? Yes. The dough keeps wrapped in the refrigerator for a day or two and is easier to roll when it is well chilled.

Serve the cookies with coffee, or pack them in a tin once the jam has set. They pair well with other Christmas cookies such as Linzer cookies.

The recipe is based on a version by Alexandras Food Lounge, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.

Enjoy! Try more recipes from our kitchen.