Chocolate Peppermint Meringue Christmas Trees

December 9, 2013 // 68 Comments »

These Frosty White Meringue Christmas Trees are kissed with a touch of Peppermint and Chocolate. A Sweet Topper for Cake or Cupcakes, or a Fun Homemade Gift. Gluten- and Dairy-Free.

When you’re a little, the Christmas season is just so completely magical. The lights, the yummy treats, Santa, the decorations, the parties, and, of course, presents 😉

But I’ll never forget the first time I laid eyes on one of those fake sparkly-white Christmas trees.

Oh, my sweet Lord.

I think my six year old heart skipped a beat.

I don’t know what it is about those but they stir something up in me, even today.

I’m always on the hunt for a tempting gluten- and dairy-free homemade treat, especially at this time of year. One of the staffers at my younger son’s preschool has food sensitivities, and I always feel bad for her at Christmastime. She’s surrounded by so many fabulous treats that she simply can’t indulge in! I want to give her something she can truly enjoy, so when I saw this idea, I just knew it was destined to happen, in my kitchen.

I followed Make Bake Celebrate’s recipe almost to the letter, so I’m not including a recipe card in this post. You can hop on over to Toni’s page to view the how-to, just keeping a few things in mind:

I used a large star tip to pipe my trees. It’s made by Wilton and it can be purchased here.
Also, I had better luck getting my meringue to stay firm with a bit less sugar (a little less than a cup for 4 large egg whites).
Finally, I sprinkled the trees with crushed up candy canes, for some added bling and wintry flavor, and dipped their bottoms in some melted dairy free chocolate.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to convince my house full of boys to let me put up a frosty-white Christmas tree all decked out in silver and pink, but when I look at these babies I get that same little thrill. They’re so wintry and snowy-looking! I love the sweet marshmallowy-crisp texture, and that little hint of peppermint and chocolate is so spot-on at this time of year. These would look darling as a cake or cupcake topper, or even just lined up on a platter at your holiday get-together.