Merry Kiss-mas
Get creative in the kitchen this festive season with inspiration from the Meringue Girls and Dr. Oetker
I f you’re a keen baker, or a sucker for a sweet treat, you’re likely to be aware of colourful baking duo and Instagram sensations the Meringue Girls, aka Stacey O’Gorman and Alex Hoffler. They shot to fame in 2012 thanks to their irresistible creations, and today have two cookbooks, a long list of high-profile clients and collaborations and more than 160,000 Instagram followers under their belt. Now, Dr. Oetker has teamed up with Alex from the Meringue Girls to bring you the Christmas baking trends you need to know about – and the products that will help you create them.
“There are all sorts of trends coming through for Christmas 2018,” says Alex. “One of my favourites is meringue Christmas tree decorations made using a sultane nozzle.” This nozzle produces a party ring shape with a crinkled, shell-like texture, perfect for hanging as festive decorations. “Dr. Oetker’s Food Colour Gels and assortment of sprinkles are perfect for adding bright, bold hues and festive wow factor,” says Alex. “I’m also obsessed with the shag rug effect in different colours of buttercream at the moment – it’s so textured and enticing.” The shag rug effect is simpler to achieve than you might think – all you need is a grass-tip nozzle. Dr. Oetker’s delicious Buttercream Style Icing is convenient and easy to use for this, and can be coloured to your desired shade using its selection of Food Colour Gels.
The Meringue Girls are famous for their use of colour and flavour, so what will they be going for this festive season? “We always like to have a really zingy element to our creations, so we’ll be incorporating fresh or poached fruits alongside traditional flavours to lift recipes – like this Christmas Cookie Cake (pictured right) that we’ve developed for Dr. Oetker,” says Alex. “These are really popular at the moment – we see a lot of numbers for birthdays, but they can also be made into letters or a festive shape or word. Dr. Oetker’s Cocoa Powder gives a rich, dark chocolate cookie, which contrasts against the Vanilla Buttercream Style Icing and really shows off the layers. The final look is all about overloading the top with lots of decorations in different colours, such as meringue kisses, Dr. Oetker Sprinkles and Giant Chocolate Stars and fresh, seasonal fruits.
“We love making festive characters, too,” says Alex. “Try your hand at mini snowmen – they’re really simple to make but look really effective. Meringue figurines last well and could also make a lovely homemade gift.”
CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS TREES Dr. Oetker White Chocolate Dr. Oetker Green Food Colour Gel.
Melt 50g and add a few drops of
Combine and pour into a piping bag fitted with a narrow nozzle, then place 10 cocktail sticks on a lined tray. Pipe the chocolate over the sticks, starting two thirds of the way down, and continue upwards until you have a tree shape. Chill until set.