Peppermint Meringue Cookies with Chocolate

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites
• ¾ C sugar
• ½ tsp pure peppermint extract
• Gel-paste food coloring in red
• Ganache (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment; secure corners with masking tape. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22).
2. Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water; stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Fit mixer with wire whisk. Beat egg-white mixture on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Beat in extract.
4. Using a small, new paintbrush, paint two or three stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (¾ inch high) star shapes onto parchment. Refill bag as necessary (add food coloring each time.)
5. Bake meringues until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
6. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #5) with ganache. Pipe a small amount onto bottom of 1 meringue. Press against bottom of another. Repeat. Transfer to racks. Let set, about 30 minutes.

Ganache:

Makes 1½ C

• 1 C heavy cream
• 6 oz good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1. Heat cream in a small saucepan until just simmering. Pour over chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth, about 5 minutes.
2. Let ganache cool, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until thick enough to hold its shape, about 45 minutes. If ganache sets before using, reheat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; repeat the cooling process above.