Ingredients
4 Large Egg Whites (at room temperature)
¼ Tspn Cream of Tartar
¾ Cups Granulated Sugar
½ Tspn Peppermint Extract
Red Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
Adjust your oven racks to the upper and lower middle positions. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a large clean bowl. Add egg whites (make sure no yolk gets in). To do this, I crack each egg separately over a bowl, pour the whites into a separate bowl, then pour the whites into my mixing bowl.
Using my mixer, I begin to mix the egg whites on medium speed for 1 minute. I add the cream of tartar. Continue to mix for 2 minutes.
Increase the speed of your mixer to medium-high and gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time.
When all the sugar has been added, increase the speed of your mixer to high for around 4 minutes. The egg whites should form a stiff peak (you will see this when you turn the mixer off and you pick it up you can see a thick gloss texture).
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add in the peppermint extract.
Take a piping bag. Fit it with a large piping tip. Use a small brush to paint lines inside the bag with red food coloring. If you don’t have a piping bag, I have used a ziplock bag and cut the corner off. I have also used a teaspoon to scoop round scoops so feel free to use whatever you have.
Fill the bag with your meringue and pipe the shape to of “kisses” spacing them one inch apart.
Bake for one hour by turning off your pre-heated oven and leaving the meringues in your oven for 1 hour.
These are so pretty and perfect for the holidays. They are GLUTEN-free and delicious. I make these meringues without peppermint all year long and use food coloring for different holidays (pink for Valentine's Day or green for St. Patricks Day). They are a great way to work on hand strengthening with your child to squeeze out the piping bag into the fun-shaped “kisses”!
Enjoy!