Minty Meringues

These minty drops—crispy on the outside, marshmallowy on the inside—melt on your tongue. Use the cleanest tools and make sure that not a drop of yolk falls into the whites. You can use a tablespoon or use a piping bag to drop the batter onto a baking sheet.

Ingredients

• 4 large cold eggs, separated
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar, superfine is recommended
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Gel food color(s) of choice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225 °F (107 °C).
2. Put egg whites in a large bowl and allow to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
3. Sprinkle cream of tartar over the egg whites. Beat on low until frothy; increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add sugar, continuing to beat until glossy stiff peaks form.
4. Brush inside of piping back with food gel to create stripes. Fill bag about half way with the egg whites and twirl closed.
5. To make drops, hold bag ¼-inch from the baking pans coated with Teflon™ nonstick, squeeze gently as you pull up and then releasing. Use a star tip to make swirls.
6. Oven dry for 45-50 minutes. Turn off the oven and keep the door closed for at least 2 hours.
7. Slide the dried meringues off the pans and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.