Making Low FODMAP Peppermint Meringues
These light, crunchy Low FODMAP Peppermint Meringues cookies are flavored with peppermint extract and striped with red food coloring to create a vibrant treat.
You can pipe them as kisses, seen above, or as hearts, as seen below, which are perfect for Valentine’s Day. The technique is similar and will make sense as you read the recipe’s steps.
You don’t have to use the food coloring to make the stripes, but it is a little extra step that makes these a tad fancier than plain meringue cookies.
Fat is The Enemy – to Meringues!
The only trick to making super-crisp meringues is to make sure that your bowl, beaters, measuring equipment and anything that comes in contact with the egg whites is scrupulously clean. ANY trace of grease or fat will prevent them from beating into a thick, glossy meringue.
I often wipe out my bowl with a paper towel with a little vinegar, just to be sure.
Versatility
The cookies below have cacao nibs sprinkled on top (lower left) and sugar decorations (upper right).
These cookies are versatile!
Low FODMAP Peppermint Meringues
These Low FODMAP Peppermint Meringues are easier to make than you might think - store in an airtight container to keep them crisp.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 40 to 60 meringues (depending on size); serving size 2 meringues
Ingredients:
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup (65 g) sugar
- ½ cup (45 g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Gel or liquid red food coloring
- Pastry bag
- ½- inch (12 mm) round tip such as an Ateco #806
- Cacao nibs, optional
- Sugar decorations, optional
Preparation:
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Position racks in upper and lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 200°F/95°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
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Beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar and beat until firm peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes longer. Beat in confectioners’ sugar and peppermint extract.
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Dot food color over surface of meringue but do not stir or agitate in any way. If using liquid, simply squeeze droplets. If using gel, use a toothpick to place dots here and there.
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Use a large soupspoon to carefully place meringue into a pastry bag by fitted with the ½-inch (12 mm) tip.
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For Kiss Shapes: Pipe 1½- to 2-inch (4 cm to 5 cm) “kisses” onto prepared sheets, spacing 2-inches (5 cm) apart. The stripes will make themselves! It is a random process, but it always works out well if you allow the white meringue and the red dots of color to remain distinct before spooning into the pastry bag.
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For Heart Shapes: Pipe two overlapping teardrop shapes to create a "heart" shape. This takes some practice, but you can do it! And it is fine if each one is different.
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For Cacao Nib Meringues: Simply use a teaspoon to scoop out small cookies directly onto sheet pans. Sprinkle a few c cacao nibs on top.
For Decorated Meringues: Any of the meringues can be sprinkled with sugar decorations before baking.
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Bake meringues for about 2 to 2½ hours or until completely dry. Cool pans on racks completely before trying to remove the cookies. They continue to crisp as they cool. Store cookies in single layers in airtight containers up to 2 days.
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In lieu of a tip, you can use a standard pastry bag coupler with a plain round opening. Simply place inside pastry bag with no tip and pipe away.
Notes:
Tips
- It is very easy to vary these by color and flavor. Try orange color and orange extract; yellow color/lemon extract; pink color/rose extract; green color/lime extract; purple color/lavender extract, etc.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
And we have more recipes featuring mint in our Amazing Mint Recipe Round-Up that will blow your mind!
