Peppermint meringues

I was so excited when my generous mother-in-law gifted me a subscription to Bon Appetit magazine (thanks, Mom Lu!). Their pictures of food are always so gorgeous, and I always like to flip through the issues to look for recipes I should try.

My first issue arrived on Friday afternoon, and I was excited to see some festive peppermint meringues gracing the cover. I’d never made meringues before and thought that this would be a perfect opportunity.

I was able to whip these up pretty quickly while I was watching our daughter for the morning. The aroma of the peppermint made the house smell like Christmas! I eagerly bit into the meringue and liked its crunchy yet airy texture. To prevent myself from eating the entire batch, I packaged them into bags and will give them away as holiday presents.

This is a very easy recipe to follow; plus, it makes a lot of cookies. If you’re looking for a stress-free homemade treat to give away this holiday season, consider these red and white striped confections!

Print Recipe

Peppermint meringues

A fun, peppermint twist to meringues!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time3 hrs

Chilling time1 hr

Total Time3 hrs 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Cookies

Servings: 75

Author: Eva Bakes

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 12 drops red food coloring

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I used my imitation Silpat).
• Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium high speed until white and foamy, about 1 minute.
• With mixer running, gradually add sugar in 3 additions, beating for about 2 minutes between each addition. Beat until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes longer.
• Add powdered sugar and peppermint extract; beat to blend, about 1 minutes.
• Dot coloring over surface of meringue; do not stir (the coloring will form swirls when piped). Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip. Twist top and pipe 1" rounds onto prepared sheet or Silpat. Space meringues 1" apart.
• Bake meringues until dry, about 2.5 hours. Let cool completely (for about an hour). Meringues will crisp as they cool.

Notes

Meringues can be made 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. The recipe above yields about 75 meringues.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine, December 2011 issue, page 88

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