Preheat oven to 175°.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Fit a pastry bag with a small open star tip.

In a saucepan bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer.

Put the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over the simmering water. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer ingredients to an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

Mix on medium high speed until stiff peaks form.

Mix in the peppermint extract.

Use a small new paintbrush, and paint a couple of stripes of the food coloring inside the pastry bag.

Fill the bag with the meringue.

Pipe shapes onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.

Store in an airtight container.