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
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.
These are so pretty! Delicious and good looking!
Wow – I am impressed – these totally look like a candy cane kiss!