Candy Cane Meringues

0 Before starting:Make sure your mixing bowl and beaters are very clean with no traces of oil / butter from previous recipes. If in doubt, rub the bowl and beaters with a bit of white vinegar and then rinse them to remove any trace of oil.
1 Crack eggs and separate whites and yolks. (Note: Do this carefully. If there are any yolks mixed in with the whites, they will not whip correctly.) Let egg whites come to room temperature (10 to 15 minutes).
2 Heat oven to 200°F.
3 Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
4 Prepare a pastry bag and fit it with a large plain / round tip. (If you don't have a pastry bag, just use a large zip-top bag with one corner cut off.)
5 In the bowl of a standing mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form (light and foamy),~2 minutes.
6 With the mixer running on low-medium, slowly add sugar and then peppermint extract.
7 Increase mixer to high and continue mixing until egg whites are smooth and glossy, ~5 minutes more. (Note: You'll know this is done when the mixture forms "stiff peaks" and stays in those peaks if you turn the beater upside down.)
8 To get those even red candy cane strips into the meringues, place a piping bag (or any plastic bag) in a cup or bowl so that it is held open. Dip a small paintbrush, skewer, or the tip of a knife in red food color gel and “paint” stripes up the sides of the plastic bag. Gently spoon the meringue into the plastic bag.
9 Pipe meringue into candy cane shapes on prepared sheet pans.
10 Bake until very dry and crisp, rotating the pans halfway through, 1 to 1.5 hours. Test for doneness by pulling one of the candy canes off the parchment paper. If it releases easily and is very crunchy, it's done. (If the trees show any signs of turning golden brown before they are crisp, reduce heat to 175°F.)
11 Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Will keep for 3 to 5 days.