Candy Cane Meringues

These minty meringues are a fun twist on a classic cookie

Thanksgiving weekend was the official start of the holiday baking season in our house. My son got his hands on Bon Appetit's December issue with these beautiful cookies on the cover. The pressure was on to duplicate the magical swirl in the meringues. These cookies teach patience. It takes time to whip the egg whites into stiff little peaks, pipe them out onto the cookie sheet, and then - the hardest part: waiting the 2 1/2 hours while the meringues are in the oven.

But it was worth the wait and the time in the kitchen was well spent. I am hoping that these times together with my son will be filed away in the back of his mind somewhere and will resurface when he's older, maybe when he has his own kids someday. He'll be eight years old this week - gaining on me in height and too old to hold my hand in public but still young enough to want to bake cookies with me. Maybe my desire to fill his "memory bank" with shared times in the kitchen is part of slowly letting go that we do as our children grow.

Here's the recipe. We just used a freezer bag to pipe the cookies onto the sheet and it worked perfectly.

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 12 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium-high speed until white and foamy, about 1 minute. With mixer running, gradually add sugar in 3 additions, beating for 2 minutes between each addition. Beat until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes longer. Add powdered sugar and peppermint extract; beat to blend, about 1 minute.

Dot coloring over surface of meringue; do not stir (the coloring will form swirls when piped). Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip. (alternatively, spoon into a plastic freezer bag, then cut 1/2" off 1 corner.) Twist top; pipe 1" rounds onto prepared sheet, spacing 1" apart.

Bake meringues until dry, about 2 1/2 hours. Let cool completely, about 1 hour (meringues will crisp as they cool). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature between sheets of parchment or waxed paper.