Looking for a healthier Christmas cookie? At around 15 calories each, these peppermint meringues are light, festive, and flavorful.
If you’re looking for a healthy cookie recipe this holiday season, these peppermint meringues have a head start since the key ingredient is zero calories: air! They’re made simply from egg whites and sugar, which are beaten with air until they turn into a fluffy cloud of goodness. And at around 15 calories per lollipop, it’s one of the easiest cookie recipes we’ve ever made.
Each holiday season, Alex and I create some candies that are lighter but just as delicious as their heavier counterparts. (We also discuss a few ideas in our latest podcast, starting December 7th, and even call a friend to find out his favorite ideas.) Balancing sugar can be tricky during the holiday season, so our coping mechanisms can be difficult be. Adaptation is simple: focus on homemade recipes using real ingredients and eat in moderation when possible. (Here’s an article I wrote a while back about 9 tips for eating in moderation.)
Though these peppermint meringues may seem light and carefree, they require a little concentration to pull through. It took us a failed batch to realize the importance of painting clean lines on the bottom of a piping bag (paint too wide and half the batch will be white; paint too messy and the red won’t be dark enough ). If you’re up for the challenge, make sure you have a brush, piping bag, and some red gel food coloring. With a steady hand, they make for a fun holiday challenge.
What are your favorite healthy holiday treats? We’d love to hear in the comments! Some of our “easier” takes are listed below.
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This recipe is…
This peppermint meringue recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
The description
Looking for a healthier Christmas cookie? At around 15 calories each, these peppermint meringues are light, festive, and flavorful.
- 3 big protein
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Red Gel Food Coloring
- Piping bag and small art brush
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Fill a saucepan with water and heat over low heat, but do not boil. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Place bowl in simmering water and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Place bowl under mixer, then beat on high power until stiff peaks form, 8-10 minutes. Once there are stiff peaks, turn off the blender and add the peppermint extract. Beat on low heat for about 30 seconds to incorporate.
- Meanwhile, place a large round tip over a plastic piping bag and gently fold the top 6 inches of the bag over to form a sturdy cone. Place the bag upside down in a pitcher for more stability. Squeeze some red gel food coloring onto a plate and gently paint a ½ inch strip from the tip to where the pouch is folded. Repeat with 3 more rows evenly spaced. Be careful not to smudge the lines.
- Once the stripes are painted, gently place dabs of meringue into the center of the piping bag. Pipe small strudel cones, about 1 ½ inches wide, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Everyone will be a little bit unique, so enjoy the process!
- Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven, let out some hot air and leave in the oven for another 90 minutes to dry the inside. Store in a covered container for several days.
Remarks
Inspired by Girl Versus Dough
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: Swiss
Keywords: Peppermint Meringue, Peppermint Meringue Cookies, Christmas Meringue Cookies
