I love making cookies during the holiday season and usually stick to the classics, but this year I tried something new with these Meringue Candy Canes. I like how light and crunchy these ended up and decorating them is really fun.
If you’ve never made meringue before, it can seem a bit intimidating but it’s really just beating egg whites into submission and then piping it into whatever shape you want. (I also like these snow peaks!)
I hope you add some meringues, in whatever form, to your cookie plate this season!
Why I love Meringue
Meringue is such an underrated cookie. They are very light and very crunchy and a nice texture change-up from your normal cookie offering.
Plus, it seems kind of magical to me. You beat egg whites for a long time and eventually they turn into these clouds of slightly sweet mixture that you can shape into almost any shape. Pretty fun!
If it were summertime, I like to use meringue for a summer dessert in these mini pavlovas but for the holiday season something more festive like these candy canes just made sense to me.
How to make meringue
Making meringue seems like magic, but it’s actually very easy. You start with egg whites and only egg whites. If you get any fat in the mix, they won’t whip up correctly so if you have a yolk break into the mixture, you should start over.
If you have a stand mixer, you can whip the egg whites using that but I actually like doing it by hand sometimes, which sounds crazy, but isn’t that hard. If you happen to have a fancy copper mixing bowl, something about the copper actually helps the egg whites whip up easier.
After a few minutes, you can whisk in the cream of tartar which helps the meringue hold its shape along with the vanilla. Slowly add the sugar in a few batches and whisk like crazy to incorporate it.
When your meringue is very firm and holds a stiff peak, you are ready to make candy canes (or any shape)!
Piping meringue
Once you have whisked the meringue you should pipe and cook it immediately. You can use any sort of piping bag or plastic bag to pipe the meringue. Cut off a wide tip and pipe it into candy cane shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
It will take a few tries to get it right, but once you get the hang of it, it goes really fast (and also doesn’t have to be perfect).
Once your meringues are piped, place them in a 225˚F oven for about an hour. This will dry out the meringue without browning it at all. They should be very crunchy when they come out.
Making a good royal icing
You absolutely don’t have to ice these and it does make them sweeter.
You could, instead, sprinkle them with crushed candy canes before baking which would be very fun and a bit easier.
But, if you do want to decorate them, the key to good royal icing is to purchase meringue powder, which is powdered egg white that gets the icing to hold its shape perfectly.
Whisk together some milk with meringue powder and vanilla and then slowly whisk in the powdered sugar until it is just pourable. It should hold its shape for about 10 seconds and then flow back into the bowl of icing.
You can add more drops of milk to loosen it or more powdered sugar to thicken it until it’s the right texture for decorating.
Storing these meringue candy canes
These are best stored in an airtight container for a few days. They will absorb moisture from the air actually and get soggy if you live in a humid area. If you live in a dry area (like Colorado) you can actually just leave them out on the counter for a few days without issue.
Where are my meringue lovers at?! Leave a comment if you would give these a shot!
Meringue Candy Canes
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer, optional
- 1 Whisk
- 1 copper mixing bowl, optional
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
Red royal icing
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon meringue powder, optional but good
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Separate out the whites from the yolks carefully. Work with one egg at a time and then transfer the whites to the larger bowl just to make sure you get no yolk in the mix. One drop of yolk will ruin this dish.
- Add the egg whites to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they start to stiffen. Then add the tartar and continue to mix on medium for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add in the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat the eggs on medium until they are very stiff and hold their shape completely.
- Scoop the meringue into a piping bag with a wide tip cut off. Pipe onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper into the shape of candy canes. It takes a few attempts to get it right.
- Bake the meringues at 225˚F for one hour so they slowly dry out without becoming browned.
- Remove the meringues and let cool.
- Meanwhile, make royal icing by whisking together milk, meringue powder, and vanilla (or peppermint). Slowly whisk in the powdered sugar until the icing is very thick, but you can drizzle it. It hsould hold it's shape for 10 seconds if you drizzle it.
- Drizzle icing over the candy canes for a fun striped affect.
- Store candy canes at room temperature for a few days.
