Description
Delightfully light and airy Minty Peppermint Meringues infused with a refreshing peppermint flavor and visually accented with festive red stripes. These crisp and sweet meringue cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations or any occasion that calls for a delicate treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 drop peppermint concentrate (or ½ tsp pure peppermint extract)
- Red gel-paste food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip such as Wilton M1, and set aside.
- Dissolve Sugar: Place the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl that can sit over simmering water. Stir the mixture gently over the pan of simmering water for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch.
- Whisk to Stiff Peaks: Transfer the bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the mixture on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, indicating that the meringue is ready.
- Add Peppermint Flavor: Gently fold in the peppermint concentrate or extract to infuse the meringue with a refreshing peppermint flavor.
- Prepare Pastry Bag: Using a clean small paintbrush, paint 2 to 3 stripes of red gel-paste food coloring inside the pastry bag to create festive stripes on the meringues.
- Pipe Meringues: Fill the prepared pastry bag with 1 to 2 cups of the meringue mixture. Pipe small star shapes about ¾-inch high onto the lined baking sheets. Refill the bag as needed, repainting stripes with food coloring each time for a vibrant effect.
- Bake Slowly: Bake the meringues in the preheated oven until crisp but not browned, approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.
- Cool in Oven: Turn the oven off and leave the meringues inside for an additional 30 minutes to dry out and set further without browning.
- Final Cooling: Remove the baking sheets and let the meringues cool completely on wire racks before placing them into an airtight container for storage.
Notes
- Light and airy peppermint meringues make a festive and elegant addition to any holiday cookie tray.
- Using gel-paste food coloring ensures vibrant and clean stripes without affecting the meringue’s texture.
- Slow baking at a low temperature is key to achieving crisp, non-browned meringues.
- Ensure sugar is fully dissolved during the warming step to avoid grainy texture.
- Store meringues in an airtight container to maintain crispness and prevent moisture absorption.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 cookies
- Calories: 21 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 6 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
