INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup egg whites about 5 large eggs separated
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint bakery emulsion or ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- red gel food coloring optional
DIRECTIONS
Making the Meringue
- Add the room temperature egg whites to a clean bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer. Whisk on medium speed for about 3-5 minutes or until your eggwhites become frothy.
- ½ cup egg whites
- With the mixer on, stream in the granulated sugar and once incorporated add in the flavoring. If you are using peppermint extract, I would use about ¾ teaspoon.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar,1 teaspoon peppermint bakery emulsion
- Increase the speed of the mixer to high and whisk until stiff peaks form. This means that when you lift the whisk attachment the egg whites stand up and don't droop over.
Adding Color to the Meringue
- Stick a toothpick into the red (or whatever color you want) gel food coloring and make strokes through the meringue after it has formed stiff peaks. Do not mix the meringue unless you want solid color meringues. I usually dip the toothpick into the gel food coloring 6-8 times. Fill the piping bag with the meringue (do not mix the food coloring in unless you want solid color meringues) and pipe swirls onto prepared trays. This swirl of color is only going to work with a piping bag.
Making the Cookies
- Line your baking trays or dehydration racks with parchment paper. Fill a pastry bag with the meringue and using a large closed star piping tip, pipe swirls about 2-3" in diameter and 1" in height. Or simply scoop out about 1 Tablespoon of the meringue on to the parchment and make little swirls in the top with a fork.
Dehydrator Instructions
- Place the trays with the meringue cookies into the dehydrator and set the temperature to 175℉/80℃ and set the time for 4 hours. When the time is up, leave the cookies in the dehydrator for 4-8 hours.
Oven Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200℉/90℃. Place the trays of merinuges on the center rack or as close to the middle of the oven as you can. Bake for 90 minutes and turn the oven off. Leave the meringues in the oven for at least 4 hours, but overnight is better.
Storage
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Once the meringues have sat in the dehydrator or oven and are completely cool, place them in a freezer bag and sqeeze as much air out as possible. Store at room temperature. They have stayed fresh for me at room temp for a month. I recommend freezing them for longer storage.