Frogs in Love

BLACK (SKIP THIS STEP IF USING EDIBLE MARKER):
Take 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of meringue and add 4 to 6 drops of black gel food coloring. Depending on how pigmented your black food coloring is, add 2 to 3 drops more to intensify the color, if needed. The meringue does not have to be pitch black; dark gray is good enough! Transfer to a piping bag with no piping tip.
 

WHITE:
Transfer 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of meringue directly to a piping bag fitted with one round piping tip #6. (No food coloring required.)
 

RED:
To 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the remaining meringue, add 4 to 5 drops of red gel food coloring and mix. Transfer to a piping bag with no piping tip.
 

GREEN:
Finally, to the remaining meringue, add 5 to 7 drops of green gel food coloring. Carefully mix in the coloring, using a spatula, until fully incorporated.
 

Divide the green meringue into two different piping bags: one-third to a piping bag fitted with the other round piping tip #6, and the remaining two-thirds to another piping bag fitted with round piping tip #2A.
 

Preheat your oven to 160°F (70°C) and place a baking sheet on the middle rack.
 

We’ll be making three frogs on each parchment square. Onto one square, using the green meringue fitted with round piping tip #2A, pipe three ovals about 1¼ inches (3 cm) in height and diameter. Adjust the shape and edges, using a baking scriber or toothpick.
 

Now, use your white meringue fitted with round piping tip #6 to pipe two small pea-sized dots on top of the green meringue to create the eyes of each frog.
 

Then, make a small cut at the tip of the piping bag of red meringue to create a small opening. Pipe a heart onto the chest of each frog. Use a baking scriber or toothpick to adjust the shape a little.
 

Use the green meringue fitted with round piping tip #6 to pipe the legs and arms of all the frogs. Pipe the arms slightly over the sides of each heart so it looks as if the frog is holding it.

*If you are more comfortable using an edible marker, skip step 6 and go to step 7.
 

Finally, take the piping bag of black meringue and cut the tip just enough for the mixture to be pipeable. Pipe two small dots onto the white meringue to color the center of each eye and then, using your baking scriber, dip into the black meringue and draw a smile on the frog. This way, you will create much finer lines as opposed to piping them.
 

After you have made three frogs on a parchment square, carefully transfer them into the oven to bake. Repeat the above steps until all 12 frogs are in the oven.
 

Once all 12 frogs are in the oven, bake them for 60 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 175°F (80°C) and bake for another 40 minutes.
 

After baking them for 100 minutes in total, turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven for another 20 minutes to continue the drying process. Take them out of the oven and allow to cool completely (or overnight). If using an edible marker, draw on the facial features of the frogs at this stage