Description
Delightfully light and airy peppermint meringues made with whipped egg whites, sugar, and a refreshing peppermint flavor. These bite-sized cookie treats boast a crisp texture and subtle minty sweetness, perfect for holiday cookie trays or festive gatherings.
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°F (80°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip such as Wilton M1 and set aside.
- Heat the Egg Whites and Sugar: Place the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Stir gently until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture feels warm to the touch, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whip to Stiff Peaks: Transfer the warmed mixture to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, meaning the meringue holds its shape firmly when the whisk is lifted.
- Add Peppermint Flavor: Gently fold in the peppermint concentrate or extract to infuse the meringue with fresh mint flavor.
- Prepare Pastry Bag: Using a clean small paintbrush, paint 2 to 3 stripes of red gel-paste food coloring inside the pastry bag. This will create decorative lines on the piped meringues.
- Pipe the Meringues: Fill the pastry bag with 1 to 2 cups of meringue. Pipe small star shapes about ¾ inch high onto the prepared baking sheets. Refill the bag as needed, touching up the red stripes each time for a festive appearance.
- Bake: Bake the meringues in the preheated oven until they are crisp and dry 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 gently finish drying.
- Final Cooling and Storage: Remove the meringues from the oven and let them cool completely on wire racks while still on the baking sheets. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container to maintain their crispness.
Notes
- Light and airy peppermint meringues are perfect for holiday cookie trays or festive occasions.
- The long low-temperature baking ensures a crisp texture without browning.
- Use gel-paste food coloring to avoid thinning the meringue.
- Be sure to completely dissolve the sugar to achieve smooth, glossy meringues.
- Store meringues in a sealed container to keep them crisp and fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 cookies
- Calories: 21 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 6 mg
- Fat: 0.0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.0 g
- Trans Fat: 0.0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
