Adorable Elephant

BLACK:
Take 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of meringue and add 5 to 6 drops of black gel food coloring. Mix in the color, using a spoon or spatula, and transfer to a piping bag (no piping tip required).
 

WHITE:
Place 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of meringue directly in a piping bag. (No piping tip or food coloring required.)
 

GRAY:
To the remaining meringue, add 5 drops of gray gel food coloring plus 1 drop of blue food coloring. Alternatively, add 2 drops of black gel food coloring and 1 drop of blue gel food coloring.

Carefully mix in the color, using a spoon or spatula. Transfer one-half of the gray meringue to a piping bag fitted with round piping tip #7, and the other half to another piping bag fitted with round piping tip #2A.
 

Preheat your oven to 160°F (70°C). Using the gray meringue fitted with round piping tip #2A, pipe four 1-inch (2.5-cm) ball shapes, each with a flat bottom, onto a square of parchment paper. Repeat on a second square of parchment paper, making eight flat-bottomed balls in total.

Now, use the gray meringue fitted with round piping tip #7 to pipe on the legs of each elephant. Smooth out any edges, using a baking scriber or toothpick.
 

Make a small cut at the tip of the piping bag of white meringue. Pipe a small amount of white meringue onto your baking scriber and press three small dots onto the ends of each foot to mimic the nails of each elephant.
 

Use your baking scriber to level out the top part of each elephant’s body (where the head is going to be placed). Try to make the top part as straight as possible, as this is very crucial when assembling both parts at the end.
 

The body parts are now done! Now, carefully transfer them into the oven on a baking sheet on the middle rack to bake for 50 minutes. At the 50-minute point, take them out to cool.
 

Use the gray meringue fitted with piping tip #2A to pipe four ball shapes (similar size as the body) onto a parchment square, leaving 2 inches (5cm) of space between the balls, to create the head of the elephants. Repeat on a second parchment square, for a total of eight heads. Smooth out the edges, using a baking scriber or toothpick.
 

Use the gray meringue fitted with round piping tip #7 to pipe on the ears. To do this, start at the bottom and slowly, in a zigzag motion, go upward to create each ear. Then, use a baking scriber or toothpick to adjust the shape, if needed.
 

Use the same gray meringue fitted with round piping tip #7 to pipe a trunk onto each elephant head. Pipe a small amount of gray meringue onto your baking scriber and draw horizontal lines on the trunk.
 

Using the same technique, pipe a small amount of gray meringue onto your baking scriber and make small hairs on top of each elephant’s head.
 

Now, make a small cut at the tip of the piping bag with black meringue, just enough for the mixture to come out. Pipe on the eyes of the elephant, then dip your baking scriber into the black meringue to draw on the eyebrows.
 

Finally, pipe a small amount of white meringue onto your baking scriber and add two small dots onto the eyes to create that cute glossy look.
 

The head parts are now done! Transfer them carefully into the oven onto the baking sheet to bake for 50 minutes.
 

After the body and head parts have been in the oven for 50 minutes, take them out of the oven (including the baking sheet) and let them cool completely before peeling off the parchment. Place the two remaining parchment squares on the baking sheet. We are going to assemble two elephants on each square (four in total).
 

Pipe a small amount of gray meringue on top of a body part and carefully place a head part on top of it. Make sure they are well centered, so the head won’t fall off. Repeat to assemble all eight elephants.
 

Carefully place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake again, for 30 minutes at 160°F (70°C), then increase the temperature to 175°F (80°C) and bake for 20 more minutes.
 

Once the elephants are finished baking, turn your oven off and let them sit in the oven for 30 minutes to continue the drying process.