Peppermint Meringue Cookies
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Made with just three ingredients (plus a bit of red and green food coloring!) these striped peppermint meringue cookies are crispy, delicate, and perfectly peppermint-y, and a festive addition to any Christmas cookie tray. (They’re also surprisingly easy to make, even in the midst of all of the holiday “hustle and bustle.”) As a bonus, meringues are naturally free from nuts, dairy, and gluten, making these a good choice for accommodating a variety of diets.
Key Ingredients
- Egg Whites – You’ll need 90 grams (about three ounces) of egg white, at room temperature. This should be roughly two to three large eggs, but I strongly recommend weighing the whites—precision is important for meringue, it won’t form stiff peaks. Also, you won’t need the yolk for this recipe, so save it to make lemon curd!
- Granulated Sugar – Meringue typically works best with caster or superfine sugar, because the smaller grains dissolve more easily into the whipped egg whites. (This is especially true in the UK, where granulated sugar grains are much larger than their US counterparts.) In the US, you can substitute granulated sugar. Whichever you choose, I recommend measuring by weight rather than volume to make sure your egg-to-sugar ratio remains in harmony.
- Peppermint Oil – I flavored my meringue cookies with natural peppermint oil (not extract). Only use about 3-4 drops of peppermint oil. It’s very strong! I did my first test with 1/4 teaspoon and the flavor was ingredibly overpowering, to the point that it made my eyes water. (It also made my oven smell like peppermint for several days after.) Err on the side of caution, and use no more than 1/8 teaspoon at the absolute most.
- Gel Food Coloring – For painting the stripes. I used Chefmaster’s Christmas Red and Leaf Green. but any good-quality gel food coloring will work. Do not use water-based food coloring (the kind sold in the baking aisle at the supermarket) for this recipe; the consistency is too thin, and the colors are not concentrated enough to produce the thick, vibrant stripes shown in my photos.
Tips and Tricks
- Customize the color. These cookies are easy to customize with different flavors or colors. I used red and green to mimic the traditional colors of starlight mint peppermint candies, but you can also flavor them with ginger, eggnog, cinnamon, or cranberry, or paint blue, gold, or purple stripes for Hanukkah celebrations.
- Give them as gifts. Peppermint meringues also make thoughtful gifts, tucked into a pretty cookie tin or packaged in a holiday-themed cello bag. They’re also a colorful way to break up all of the brown gingerbread men and beige cinnamon-sugar sand tarts on a holiday cookie tray.
- Play with piping tips. Feel free to play around with different piping tips. You can try different piping styles or designs, or make the meringue kisses as large or as small as you’d like. You can spoon them into giant meringue pillows—one of my favorite bakeries in London sells meringue clouds the size of dinner rolls!
Peppermint Meringue Cookies
- Total Time3 hours
- YieldAbout 30 1 1/2-inch meringues 1x
Made with just three ingredients (plus a bit of red and green food coloring!) these striped peppermint meringue cookies make a festive addition to any Christmas cookie tray.
Ingredients
90 grams egg whites, at room temperature (3 ounces; whites of about 2-3 large eggs)*
100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
3-4 drops natural peppermint oil
Red gel food coloring
Green gel food coloring
Edible glitter, optional, to decorate
Instructions
Preheat oven to 230° F (110° C). Line a half sheet rimmed tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Fit two disposable piping bags with 1/4 – 1/2-inch round tips.
With a food safe paintbrush, paint thin vertical stripes of red gel food coloring inside one of the piping bags, allowing about 1 inch of space in between each stripe. Repeat with the second bag and the green gel food coloring. Set both piping bags aside until ready to use.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar. Continue mixing on medium-high speed until meringue turns thick and glossy, and stiff peaks form.
Mix in the peppermint oil.
With a rubber spatula, scoop meringue into prepared piping bags, dividing it equally between the 2.
Pipe onto prepared tray in 1 1/2-inch rounds, pulling the piping bag upward to create a “kiss” or “peak” shape at the top.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Without opening the door, turn off the oven and allow cookies to cool in oven for 1 – 1.5 hours more.
If desired, dust the cooled meringues with edible glitter.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days. Do not refrigerate.
Notes
*90 grams should equal the whites of about 2-3 large eggs, depending on your location. I strongly recommend weighing the whites. Precision is important for meringue, and it’s hard to be precise without a scale.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 1/2 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
Special Tools and Equipment
- Kitchen Scale – For weighing the egg whites and sugar. If you don’t already have a kitchen scale, now is the time to buy one! Scales are a must for baking, especially for meringue based recipes like kisses and macarons.
- Disposable Piping Bags – It’s much easier to use disposable piping bags (rather than reusable) for this recipe, because they’ll be covered in food coloring and difficult to wash. Stick with clear piping bags for this recipe so you can see the stripes.
- Piping Tips – You’ll need two round tips, each about 1/4 to 1/2-inch in diameter, for piping the meringue kisses.
- Food-Safe Paint Brushes – Use food safe paint brushes for this recipe, not the brushes from your craft box! When creating edible art, never reuse brushes which have already been used for paints or other potentially hazardous materials.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Plan ahead! These meringue cookies will take about one hour to bake, and another hour or two to cool. For this reason, I suggest baking the meringues the night before you plan to serve them, then allowing the cookies to cool in the oven overnight. And make sure your baked meringues remain free from humidity—moisture will make them soft and sticky.
Other Christmas Recipes You Might Enjoy
Candy Cane Cookies
Sand Tarts
Christmas Tree Brownies
Chocolate Mint M&M Cookies
Christmas Chex Mix
Christmas Candy Corn
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
