Meringue candy canes

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 36
• Yields: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 3  egg whites, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  peppermint extract
•  red food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees, make sure your racks are in the middle of the oven.
2. Fit large pastry bag with a 1/2 round tip and medium-bag with 1/4 round tip.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly trace 36, 2-2 1/2 inch long candy canes backward on parchment paper.
4. Flip paper over.
5. In medium sized bowl, beat whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy.
6. Adding 1 tablespoon of sugar at a time, beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
7. Beat in extract.
8. Remove 1/2 cup of meringue; tint pink with food coloring.
9. Transfer white meringue into large pastry bag and pink to medium bag.
10. Fill in tracing with white meringue and pipe in pink stripes across canes.
11. Bake in oven for 1 1/4 hours.
12. Turn oven off; let sit for 1 hour in oven.
13. With a metal turner transfer canes to wire rack and let cool completely.