Meringue Lollipop Hearts Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Butter and flour a baking sheet.
• In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy using an electric mixer. Sprinkle in sugar a little at a time, while continuing to whip at medium speed. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny like satin, stop mixing, and transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheet using a large round tip or star tip.
• Place the meringues in the oven and place a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it from closing all the way. Bake for 3 hours, or until the meringues are dry, and can easily be removed from the pan. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 120C/100C fan/gas 1. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl using an electric whisk for 45 seconds until just starting to turn opaque, then gradually add the sugar, 1 tsp at a time, until thick and glossy, about 5 mins. Whisk in a drop of green food colouring gel until combined.
• Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe a dot onto the baking parchment, lay the top end of one of the lollipop sticks onto it, then pipe a 7-8cm circle outward and above it, looping back to the stick (see tip). Repeat this process until both trays are full - you should have about 12. You can also pipe simple meringue loops, if you run out of sticks.
• Bake on the lower shelf of the oven for 20 mins, then reduce the heat to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼ and bake for 1 hr more until fully dry. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on the trays.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Combine the icing sugar with 1-2 tsp water until stiff but smooth. When the meringues are cool, use the icing to attach your choice of decorations. Leave to set before boxing up. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.