Cook the Cover with Bon Appétit: Peppermint Meringues

Each month, Bon Appétit magazine invites its readers to cook its cover recipe, and send in their photos. The editors then select their favourites and post them on their blog. (Bon Appétit also uploads them to a web album on their Facebook page.) When I saw the December issue, I couldn’t wait to whip out my electric mixer and make the pretty, candy cane striped Peppermint Meringues that adorned the cover.

The recipe is not complicated. You start out by beating egg whites with sugar and a pinch of kosher salt until you have firm peaks, then you add powdered sugar and the tiniest drop of peppermint extract.

Then dot red food colouring in the bowl, but don’t stir.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. For me, wrestling with the pastry bag was the most challenging part of this recipe. If you haven’t done a lot of piping, you might want to check out the step by step photo instructions on Bon Appétit’s website.

Once you’ve piped the meringues, bake them low and slow, then let them cool completely.

For the full recipe, visit Bon Appétit.

I had a lot of fun making these little peppermint pretties, and I got a much-needed opportunity to practice my piping skills. (The above photo attests to just how badly I needed the practice!) The only hiccup I had with the recipe was with the yield. The recipe says it makes 60 cookies, 1-inch in diameter. I measured the base of my meringues precisely, yet only ended up with 32 cookies. To get the full yield, you should pipe your meringues the size of Hershey’s Kisses.

These little bites of minty deliciousness are as light and delicate as eggshells. They are the perfect treat to enjoy in front of a twinkling christmas tree, paired with a steaming mug of hot cocoa. Bon Appétit!