Peppermint Meringue Kisses

Total Time: 4 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon peppermint oil extract
• 1/3 cup candy canes (or crushed) or 1/3 cup hard peppermint candy, finely chopped (or crushed)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 175 degrees f. line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; do not use a silicone liner.
• 2 sift the confectioners' sugar twice to remove any lumps. divide the sifted sugar in half.
• 3 beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held mixer on medium speed until frothy, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat to form soft peaks. with the motor running, gradually add half of the sifted confectioners' sugar; beat to form firm peaks. add the peppermint extract and beat just to combine. remove bowl from the mixer.
• 4 sift the remaining sugar (yes, one more time) into the egg mixture. gently fold it in to form a batter that can hold its shape.
• 5 the cookies can be dropped by spoonful onto the baking sheet. or, transfer the batter to a pastry bag or resealable plastic food storage bag fitted with a large star tip. pipe kisses that are about 1 1/2 inches wide and 1 inch high onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart.
• 6 sprinkle the finely chopped or crushed candies evenly over the meringue kisses.
• 7 bake for about 3 hours, until dry and crisp. turn off the oven; let the kisses remain in the oven for 1 hour to dry thoroughly before serving or storing.