Christmas cookies can take on a variety of shapes and colors, but if you’re looking to really add some color and fun to your holiday dessert spread, then these peppermint meringues are the answer. Their peppermint stripes scream “holiday!” in the best way, and they taste like minty little clouds. Plus, they last for a good few weeks after baking, so you can snack on them all season long. New to meringue? Keep reading for all of our top tips on how to make these adorable holiday treats:
How to make peppermint meringues:
Although they look impressive, the recipe is very simple. You'll make a basic meringue and flavor it with a touch of peppermint extract. To achieve the candy striping, you paint the inside of a piping bag with stripes of red gel food coloring before filling it with the fluffy meringue. A food-specific paint brush helps get the right-size thin stripes, but if you don't have one, use the thin edge of a pastry brush or the tip of a table knife.
You'll pipe the mixture into adorable little cookies that bake at a low temperature for almost 2 hours. This allows the cookies to get super crisp. Note that the resting period inside the oven is crucial so the meringues don’t crack. Finally, a quick dip in some melted chocolate and a dusting of crushed peppermints just takes these already adorable cookies over the top. If you'd prefer a simple white-and-red combination, dip the meringues in white chocolate, instead.
Serving peppermint meringues:
We love these meringues served at a holiday party, or gifted to friends and family as the most adorable food gift. Nestle them alongside our Christmas tree cookies, gingerbread people, eggnog truffles, and our panettone cookies for a crowd-pleasing arrangement.
Storage:
Store any leftover meringues in an airtight container at room temperature where they’ll keep for around 2 weeks.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Yields: 35-40
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 4 hours 30 mins
egg whites
cream of tartar
kosher salt
(200 g.) granulated sugar
peppermint extract
Red gel food coloring
(155 g.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
small peppermint canes or candies (70 g.)