Peppermint meringue cookies make a beautiful {and yummy} addition to your holiday parties or wrap them up pretty for a much loved homemade gift! They are crunchy, minty and sweet!

meringue cookies on doily
Peppermint Meringues

These cookies couldn’t be any easier to make and only a couple ingredients red food coloring, peppermint flavoring, a dash of salt, cream of tartar, egg whites and sugar.

To begin you will need a 12 ” or 18″ pastry bag fitted with a 1/2″ large open star pastry tip. With a small paint brush paint stripes on the inside of the bag with a gel food coloring paste.

Next, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Now you are ready to begin.

pastry bag striped with food coloring on inside

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

In a metal mixing bowl beat on medium high speed the egg whites and salt along with creme of Tatar and peppermint extract until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.

Fill a pastry bag with meringue and pipe one-inch stars onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, but do not let them brown. Turn off oven, open oven door and allow them to sit in the oven about 30 mins. Remove from oven and to cool completely. Meringues will be crunchy. Store in an airtight container. The meringues should keep for a couple days.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Use peppermint extract, not peppermint oil. The oil will keep the egg white from forming stiff peaks.
  • Make sure you use a glass or metal mixing bowl.
  • Mixing bowl must be clean and free from any oily residue
  • Be sure none of the egg yolks slip into the egg whites when separating the eggs. Yolks contain fat. Any fat in with the egg whites will prevent the whites from forming stiff peaks. (This also why you can’t use peppermint OIL or have any greasy residue in the mixing bowl)
  • Room temperature egg whites will beat to a greater volume than if beaten when cold.
  • Make sure sugar is dissolved by rubbing a little of the beaten meringue between your fingers. If it feels gritty, beat a little longer.
  • Stored in an airtight container these peppermint meringues should remain crunchy for a couple of days.
  • Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the tops before baking for another variation.

Why did my meringues crack?

Meringues can crack when they cool too quickly. Leave them in the oven after baking (with the oven turned off) to slow the cooling process and help avoid the cracks.

Make sure you use fresh eggs whites

Be sure to start beating egg whites medium-low speed, and increase it only when they become foamy. Then increase to medium speed before finishing at high speed.  This will keep the egg whites from forming air bubbles what can collapse while baking and cooling.

meringue cookies on doily

Peppermint Meringues

Ingredients  

  • 3 large egg whites room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract peppermint oil will not work
  • dash of salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • parchment paper

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In metal mixing bowl beat egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, a dash of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract to soft peaks. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating until very stiff peaks form.
  • Fill a pastry bag with meringue and pipe one-inch stars onto the parchment paper.
  • Bake for 90 minutes, but do not let them brown. Turn off oven, open door and allow cookies to start cooling for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Notes

Meringues will be crunchy. Store in an air tight container. The meringues should keep for a couple of days.
Author: Cindy Hopper

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