These White Chocolate Peppermint Meringue Cookies from Sweet Soulful Baking by Monique McCleod-Polanco are so good – and perfect to get the Christmas party started…
Meringue is a versatile, beautiful dessert made from whipping egg whites and sugar. And if you pipe the meringue on a baking sheet and bake it on a low temperature for a while, you will create a lovely cookie! These cookies are perfect for Christmas. After they bake, dip them in a little white chocolate and roll them in crushed peppermint candy. These will definitely get you on the nice list!
White Chocolate Peppermint Meringue Cookies
These cookies from Sweet Soulful Baking by Monique McCleod-Polanco are so good – and perfect to get the Christmas party started...
Ingredients
- 3 large cold free-range egg whites
- a pinch salt
- 150 g caster/superfine sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 140 g peppermint candy canes
- 200 g high-quality white chocolate
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
Instructions
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For the meringue, preheat the oven to 90°C/Gas Mark ¼. Add the egg whites, salt, sugar and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together until everything is fully combined.
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Fill a small pan with about 5cm (2in) water and bring to a simmer. Set the bowl of the stand mixer over a pan of simmering water and constantly whisk for 3-5 minutes until the egg whites reach 71°C/160°F and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the bowl from the heat and attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn the mixer on and gradually increase the speed until it reaches medium-high. You can also do this step with a hand mixer. Add the vanilla and whip the meringue for 8 minutes until it is glossy, begins to thicken and gets stiff peaks.
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Add the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 2.5cm (1in) meringues onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour, turn the oven off and keep them in the oven for 1 additional hour. Let the meringues cool completely.
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Add the peppermint candy canes to a ziplock bag or food processor and crush finely. Set aside.
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Add the white chocolate bars to a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a small saucepan filled one-third full with boiling water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir the white chocolate with a rubber spatula until it is fully melted. Mix in the oil, then remove the bowl from the heat.
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Dip the bottom of each meringue cookie into the white chocolate, then immediately dip it into the crushed peppermints. Place the meringue cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.