1. Preheat the oven to 175˚F on the convection setting, or 200˚F on the regular setting. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add the salt, which makes the meringue firmer. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat at medium speed until you have a thick meringue without grains of sugar. Add a few drops of liquid gel food coloring toward the end. Fill a piping bag with the meringue. I’ve used a star tip here, but you can also make trees with a round tip.

3. Pipe out the trees onto the prepared baking sheet, squeezing the bag and pulling upward. Do this a couple of times, piping out several layers on top of each other to make each tree. Place the meringues in the oven to dry for about 5 hours.

Toasted almonds

1. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat. Allow to boil for 1 minute, then add the almonds, stirring the whole time. Little by little, the sugar will crystallize. You have to be patient! After 15 to 20 minutes, the sugar will melt again and form an even sheen on the almonds. It’s still important to keep stirring. Don’t feel tempted to turn up the heat, even if you think the process is slow—if you do, the almonds may burn.

2. When the almonds are done, stir in the butter. Pour the almonds onto parchment paper right away and immediately separate them with the help of two forks. Allow them to cool, then coarsely chop the desired amount of almonds for the trees and set aside on a plate. Serve the rest whole on the side.

Chocolate

When the meringue trees are done, temper the chocolate. See page 15 for instructions. Dip the bottoms of the trees, first in the chocolate and then in the chopped almonds. Place the trees on parchment paper and let the chocolate harden at room temperature. Store the trees in an airtight container.

Excerpted with permission from Bakeland: Nordic Treats Inspired by Nature by Marit Hovland, foreword by Trine Hahnemann (Greystone Books, 2018).