Candy Cane Meringue Kisses

These peppermint candy cane meringue kisses are the perfect little melt-in-your-mouth treat for after dinner. They are small so you can’t eat just one.

My mom had only one brand of candy cane that she’d buy; they had to be Bobs. As a self-professed candy cane connoisseur, she said they were the best because they were made with all-natural peppermint and, while I never did a taste test, I trusted her judgement. After all, she had grown up with Bobs.

Bobs Candies – no apostrophe because it is plural not possessive – was a family business which was started back in 1919 by Bob MacCormack and Bob Mills. Innovations included the Keller machine, invented by McCormack’s brother-in-law, Father Harding Keller, which perfected the twisting and cutting of candy canes, giving them their signature spiral stripes.

According to the Georgia encyclopedia, the company also began wrapping their candy canes in cellophane, making them the first candy maker to do so. This simple but effective move helped preserve freshness and appeal to a growing market. 

Growing up, we always had a box or two of Bobs candy canes, shrink wrapped in cellophane to eat/hang on the tree, so I made sure to continue the tradition in my own family. 

What this means though is that at the end of the holidays, when the tree comes down, there are always a few candy canes that missed getting eaten. These candy cane meringue kisses make perfect use of them! (Here's a tip: Homemade kisses are a perfect Valentine's Day gift.)

Candy Cane Meringue Kisses

This recipe makes about 6 dozen bite-sized kisses or about 4 dozen larger ones. You can drop the mixture by small spoonsful on to the baking pans but if you have a piping bag, the process is much neater. If you are making the bite-sized ones, like I did, you will need to bake them in two batches. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup or 150g granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup or 50g crushed candy canes, plus extra for decorating

Method

Preheat your oven to 225°F or 107°C. Adjust two racks so that they are in the upper-middle and lower-middle position.

Line 2 baking pans with baking parchment or silicone liners and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and whisk to combine.

Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar together with an electric mixer on medium-low speed, until the mixture is foamy, about 1 minute.

Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and whip until the whites are soft and fluffy.

Gradually, add the sugar mixture while the mixer is running, and whip until the whites are glossy and form stiff peaks, 1 to 3 minutes.

Gentle fold in the 1/3 cup crushed candy canes.

Use a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip to make 1 1/4 in or 3 cm wide meringue kisses on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about an inch or 2cm apart.

Sprinkle with more crushed candy canes.

Bake the meringue kisses for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, and let the meringues sit in the oven for an additional 1 hour (or 2 hours, if in humid or rainy conditions). 

Remove the kisses from the oven, and let them cool before serving, about 10 minutes.

Keep meringues crispy by storing extras in an airtight container, especially if you live in a humid area. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing peppermint recipes. Check out all the links below! 

• Candy Cane Bark from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Candy Cane Meringue Kisses from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Peppermint and Chocolate Chip Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Hot Chocolate With After Eight Peppermint from Sneha's Recipe
• Mint Chocolate Cookies (Biscuits) from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Peppermint Patty Surprise Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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