Peppermint Meringue Cookies
These Peppermint Meringue Cookies are crunchy, airy, super light, and dipped in chocolate and crushed peppermint candies, making them a favorite at the holidays.
Servings: 30
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 (5-inch) peppermint candy canes, finely crushed (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Continue to beat, gradually adding in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the meringue to a Ziploc bag; cut a very small corner off and pipe out meringue onto the parchment into dollops about the width of a quarter, 1 inch apart.
- Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours until dry, but not at all brown. Turn off the heat and allow the meringues to rest in the oven with the door closed for another couple of hours until completely cool.
- Place crushed candy canes in a bowl.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips in 30 second intervals until smooth.
- Remove the meringues from parchment (they should pop right off, but if not, use a spatula) and gently dip them first in the melted chocolate, then in the candy canes. Place back on the baking sheets to set for a few minutes and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Use fresh room temperature eggs. The fresher the eggs, the better the results and egg whites whip up the best when they’re at room temperature.
Crack eggs into a different bowl than the mixing bowl. Separate each egg white into a small bowl before adding them to the mixer. This way, if a yolk breaks, you won’t have to toss the entire batch. Even the tiniest bit of yolk will prevent the egg whites from properly whipping to stiff peaks. (Save the yolks to make lemon curd!)
Equipment should be completely dry and grease-free. The bowl and beaters used to make the meringue should be completely free of any grease or moisture. Either of these can prevent stiff peaks from being formed.
Avoid making these on a humid day. Humidity is the archenemy of meringue cookies, so avoid making these on a wet or humid day.
Nutrition
Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 22mg | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.2mg