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!

Peppermint meringues

A fun, peppermint twist to meringues!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Chilling time1 hour
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
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

2 Comments

  1. Jessica M
    December 16, 2011 / 7:00 pm

    These are so pretty! Delicious and good looking!

  2. Jenn
    January 8, 2012 / 11:48 pm

    Wow – I am impressed – these totally look like a candy cane kiss!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating