Peppermint Candy Meringues

Instructions

• Wash your hands, bowls and any utensils you will be using for this recipe to remove any trace of oil.

• Preheat oven to 200F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high until very foamy, then add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until combined. Continue whisking, scraping down side of bowl as needed, until stiff and glossy peaks form when whisk is lifted and sugar has dissolved, 2 to 4 min. (Meringue should not feel gritty when mixture is rubbed between your fingers.) Add peppermint extract. Whisk until combined.

• Scrape meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 3/4-in. star tip. Holding the bag with the tip close to the parchment, gently squeeze bag and pipe a 2-in.-wide meringue. Release bag and pull up to make a pointed tip. Repeat, piping meringues 1 in. apart.

• Bake in centre of oven for 2 hours. Without opening oven door, turn off heat and leave meringues in oven until completely cool, 4 to 6 hours, or preferably overnight.

• Whirl candy canes in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour into a shallow bowl. Microwave candy melts in another shallow bowl until melted, about 1 min. Dip the bottom of each cooled meringue into candy melts, then dip into candy canes. Let stand until candy melts firm up, about 15 min. Set on a platter or in cupcake liners to enjoy.