Peppermint Meringue Lollipops are crunchy on the outside with a soft and chewy middle, and a peppermint flavor that is sweet and refreshing. They are the cutest dessert to grace your holiday table and are so fun to make with family and friends!
Preheat the oven to 200℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add 1 inch of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a slight simmer.
In a heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar. Whisk together until combined and place over the simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water.
Whisk the egg whites and sugar constantly until the mixture reaches 140℉. Remove from the heat and fit on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip until soft peaks form.
Add the lemon juice, salt, vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Whip until stiff peaks form. The meringue will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl and when the whisk is removed, the peak will stand straight up. This can take a good 10-15 minutes of whipping at high speed.
Prep your piping bags by either snipping the end for round piping or fitting with a large star tip. Use a toothpick to make 3 lines of red food gel coloring going up the inside of the piping bag, this will give the meringue the distinct red stripes of peppermint candies as you pipe it out.
Carefully spoon meringue into the piping bag and twist closed at the top, being careful to not overfill the bag (fill ½-⅔ of the way full)
Pipe 4 small dots of meringue under the four corners of the parchment paper and press down. This will prevent the parchment from blowing up and sticking to your meringue pops as they bake.
Use additional dots of meringue to adhere the paper straws to the parchment, leaving plenty of space between them to allow you to pipe your peppermint designs.
Pipe the designs of your choice over the tops of the straws, letting them be ½-¾ inch thick.
Bake for 1-½ to 2 hours, until the outsides of the lollipops are crisp to the touch.. Turn off the oven and let the pan cool in the oven as it cools. Once the pan is completely cooled to the touch, remove from the oven.
Gently remove the lollipops from the pan, which is best done by handling the meringue itself instead of lifting from the straw end. Store in an airtight container or serve immediately. Do not refrigerate or leave uncovered otherwise you risk the meringue becoming tacky and weepy.