Peppermint Meringues

If you make the spritz cookies I have posted here, then you will have 3 lovely egg whites leftover which is what you need to make these meringues. My mother in law taught me to make them when she taught me to make the spritz cookies. They are the perfect cookie pair.
3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar
3 peppermint candy canes, crushed up finely
1-2 drops of red food coloring- optional

Click here to get a printable/downloadable version of this recipe

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
2. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a brown paper bag.
3. Let your egg whites come to room temperature before you beat.
4. In a large spotlessly clean mixing bowl (if there is any fat residue in the bowl the egg whites won't ever beat up into peaks) place your egg whites, salt and cream of tartar.
5. Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks. When you pull your beater out the top will fold over.
6. Gradually add sugar, while continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. When you pull the beater out the peak will stand straight up.
7. Fold the crushed candy canes and the drop of red food coloring into the egg whites, gently.
8. Take a gallon Zip Lock bag and cut the corner off. The opening should be about 1/2 wide. 
9. Spoon the meringue batter into the bag and squeeze out the batter onto the paper lined sheets. You can also slip a LARGE star tip into the corner of the bag for slightly more decorative cookies. It has to be one with a large opening or the chunks of candy cane get stuck. There's always one piece that clogs it up. In this picture the one on the left was just a plain plastic bag and the one on the right was with a star tip.
   

10. You can make them up to 2 inches or as small as a kiss size. They really don't spread very much at all so if you leave 1/2" between them you should be good. If the batter is a little looser then leave an inch. In the picture at the top of the page, the large one is about 2" and the small ones are about 1"

Bake for 1 hour for small and 1 1/2 hours for large in preheated oven. Rotate the sheets after half the time.  Meringues should be completely dry on the inside but don't let them brown. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door ajar a few inches with an oven mitt, and let the meringues sit in the oven until completely cool. Loosen from the paper with a spatula. Store in cool dry place for up to 2 months.