This Christmas season enjoy these delicate peppermint meringue cookies with candy cane flavor and looks!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Cooling Time1 hourhr
Total Time2 hourshrs40 minutesmins
Servings: 28
Ingredients
3eggs whitesroom temperature
¼teaspooncream of tartar
¼teaspoonpeppermint extract
⅛teaspoonsalt
¾cupgranulated sugar
Red gel food coloring*make sure it is labeled "no taste"
Instructions
Separate the egg whites and egg yolks, making sure there is no yolk in the egg white. Then let the egg whites sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3 eggs whites
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a bowl of an electric mixer or large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, peppermint extract and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form. Do not use high speed yet.
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
Gradually add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Then beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Don't over mix, stop as soon as the egg whites reach the stiff peaks stage.
¾ cup granulated sugar
Using a food safe brush, add red stripes of food coloring to the inside of a plastic pastry bag fitted with a large star or round tip. I used a closed star tip, but anything with a large opening will work. Use a disposable pastry bag so you don't have to wash out the food coloring.
Red gel food coloring
Fill bag with the meringue mixture and pipe cookies onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 90 minutes or until they are set. If you want a softer, chewier meringue then bake them for only 60 minutes.
Turn oven off and leave oven door slightly open for 60 minutes and let them cool. This will help prevent cracking.
Take the cooled cookies out of the oven and store in an airtight container. They will keep for 2 weeks at room temperature.
Notes
Key Tips
Make sure there is no egg yolks in the egg whites and the whites are at room temperature.
Make sure the mixer and beater are completely grease free.
Don't overmix the egg whites, stop when they reach the stiff peak stage.
Only use a red gel food coloring that is labeled as "no taste". If you don't have this make the meringues a different color, like green.
Let the cookies cool in the oven for at least 1 hour.
No Pastry Bag
Put the meringue mixture in a zippered bag, seal it and cut off one of the ends. Use the bag to pipe out the mixture.
Or just shape them with a spoon. Swirl some food coloring into the batter and then drop batter onto the parchment paper. They won't have a peppermint kiss shape, but they will look and taste delicious.
Freezing Instructions
These freeze well. But they are delicate and break easily, so freeze them in a hard sided plastic or glass container. They will keep for up to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature.