Mint Kisses

The Countdown Is On!

One week to go! I can't believe Christmas is a week from today. On one hand I feel like I've got it all under control. On the other, I am half-crazed and convinced I'm never going to make it! LOL *breathe*

In all honesty I feel a bit more frazzled than usual but I do have a handle on things! Got my daughter's stuff all wrapped today, and the rest can be done while she's around. One or two more things to pick up and I'm officially done with the shopping. Only thing I still really need to do is make a few batches of caramels plus a bonus batch of my famous cookies! Caramels are the perfect teacher gift, and the cookies will be for my veterinarian, as well as for the girls at doggy daycare. Another good gift is peppermint bark, but they got that last year!

This past weekend I made peppermint meringues! So easy to make and such a nice change from the chocolate laden treats already filling the fridge. Light, crispy, minty, and cute too! To get the red swirls I just dripped some red food colouring onto the edge of the piping bag before I filled it (kept it laying down and stuffed the meringue in, then stood it up and dripped a bit onto the other side). If you have gel food colouring then you'll do even better than I did because you can brush nice little lines down the bag rather than fighting with drops. Either way they'll still be great! The colour isn't even necessary, but it is cute. And if you don't feel you have enough chocolate in your fridge already, you can feel free to dunk the bottoms of these in a little tempered dark chocolate. I won't tell!

What have you been up to? Do you have any treats that you absolutely have to have ever year or else it doesn't feel like the holidays? Share them in the comments below! I'd love to see what your traditions are.

Peppermint Meringues

4 large egg whites
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/8 tsp peppermint extract
Red food colouring (optional)

Place egg whites and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium until frothy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually pour in the granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Once the sugars have been incorporated turn the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes more.

Prepare a piping bag with a half inch tip (or ziplock with one corner cut off) and fill it with the meringue mixture. Pull the meringue away from one side of the bag and add a few drops of food colouring* down that side, repeat on opposite side. Pipe little mounds onto parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake at 250F for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and leave them in for another hour (or more). If you have your racks stacked in the oven be sure to rotate and swap them 30mins into the first hour.

Enjoy!

*If you have gel food colouring this is even easier - just brush a little line of colour down the sides of the bag where you want it and then fill with the meringue mixture, and proceed with the piping.

As usual I want to know what you've been baking so be sure to tag your Instagram photos with #ragebake !