Description
Delightfully light and airy Peppermint Meringue Cookies are a festive treat perfect for holiday cookie trays. These crisp, sweet cookies infused with refreshing peppermint flavor are surprisingly easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Peppermint Meringue Cookies
- 3 large egg whites
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 drop peppermint concentrate (or ½ tsp pure peppermint extract)
- Red gel-paste food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and set them aside.
- Prepare Pastry Bag: Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip, such as a Wilton M1 tip, and set it aside for later use.
- Dissolve Sugar in Egg Whites: Place the egg whites and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture feels warm to the touch, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- 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 peaks form, indicating the meringue is perfectly aerated.
- Add Peppermint Flavor: Gently fold in the peppermint concentrate or extract to infuse the meringue with a refreshing flavor.
- Prepare Pastry Bag with Coloring: Using a clean small paintbrush, paint two or three stripes of red gel food coloring inside the pastry bag to create a festive striped effect on the cookies.
- Pipe Meringue Shapes: Fill the prepared pastry bag with 1 to 2 cups of the meringue mixture. Pipe small star-shaped meringue cookies about ¾ inch high onto the prepared baking sheets. Refill the bag as needed, repainting with food coloring stripes each time to maintain the effect.
- Bake the Meringues: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until they are crisp but not browned.
- Cool in Oven: Once baking is complete, turn the oven off and leave the meringue cookies inside for an additional 30 minutes to gradually cool and set.
- Final Cooling and Storage: Remove the baking sheets and allow the cookies to cool completely on wire racks. Once cooled, store the meringues in a sealed container to maintain their crispness.
Notes
- Light and airy peppermint meringues make a charming and delicious addition to any holiday cookie tray.
- Ensure sugar is completely dissolved before whisking to achieve the best texture.
- Use gel-paste food coloring for vibrant colors without altering the meringue’s consistency.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing to prevent them from becoming sticky.
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
