Peppermint Kisses Food

PEPPERMINT KISSES

Steps:

• Let egg whites stand at room temperature 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 225;. Add cream of tartar and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition. Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form., Transfer egg whites to piping bag. Pipe 1-1/2-in. cookies 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle half with crushed red candy canes, half with green, or with both. , Bake until firm but not brown, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.
• Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

SUPER EASY PEPPERMINT KISSES

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form.
• Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff and glossy.
• Spoon meringue into a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag. If using a plastic bag, cut a 1 inch hole in the corner.
• Squeeze 1-1/2 inch kisses of meringue onto ungreased foil-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
• Bake at 225F for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until dry but not brown. Cool; remove from foil. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT KISSES

Steps:

• Freeze kisses in a covered container for at least 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate and peppermint chips. Refrigerate 30 minutes., Shape dough into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are set. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into center of each cookie (cookie will crack around edges). Cool completely on pans on wire racks.

PEPPERMINT FUDGE CHRISTMAS KISS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large microwaveable bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate on high one minute. Stir. Microwave one minute longer until both are melted and can be stirred smooth. Stir condensed milk into chocolate mixture. Stir in cookie mix and cinnamon until well blended.
• Using 1 level tablespoon for each cookie, shape into 60 balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven 6-7 minutes until edges lose their shiny look. (Do NOT overbake.).
• Immediately press 1 candy kiss into center of each cookie. Cool on cookie sheets 5 minutes. Remove from sheets to cooling racks. Tap top of candy lightly with finger to moosh it down a bit. Cool completely. Store at room temperature.