Hot Cocoa Cupcakes With Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting

click here for recipe http://makebakecelebrate.blogspot.com/2012/11/peppermint-marshmallow-hot-chocolate.html

Pink Meringue Roses

Pink Meringue Roses

4 large egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon meringue powder

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or other extract you'd like to use

Pink Food Color

Meringue

Using a whisk combine egg whites, pinch of salt, sugar and meringue powder in a heat proof bowl, best to us is tempered glass or your stainless steel mixer bowl. Set the bowl over the pan with simmering water. Whisking constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot to the touch, about 5 minutes or so.

Transfer the bowl to your electric mixers, using wire attachment, beat the mixture gradually from low to high, until stiff peaks are formed.About 8-10 minutes. Add the flavorings and mix for a minute or so to incorporate extract.

Add a touch of pink food color and beat until no streaks are visible..

   

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. 

Piping Roses

Cut up small parchment squares about 2inches x 2inches.  

Large piping tip WILTON 125

Wilton Flower Nail Decorating Tool #7

piping bag

Easy to follow tutorial on how to make ribbon roses can be found here

In the tutorial they use a round tip to pipe the cone shape onto the flower nail. I use a petal tip to make the cone like shape.It doesn't have to be 100% perfect as it will get covered with the rose petal anyway.

I use parchment squares for this project, once I have piped rose  I place it directly onto the baking sheet. I find parchment paper better choice for baking projects.

It takes practice, don't get discourages if it doesn't work first time around. Believe me when I first tried making these roses I had no clue how to do it. Try to make somewhat similar size of roses.

When making a significantly different sizes, make sure you bake smaller ones and large ones on separate baking sheets as baking time will vary with different size of roses.

 Baking

175F 

Once you have all the meringue used up you can bake the roses .

I baked 2 sheets at a time,  at 175F, for about 2.5 hours, or until dried through. Baking times vary depending on the size of the piped meringue designs.

Once baked, let cool completely in the oven.

credit to http://www.hanielas.com