Springtime Meringues
Made from whipped egg whites and powdered sugar, meringues are light, airy, and very sweet. Follow this easy recipe to make perfect meringues – or use it as a basis for other desserts such as pavlovas or lemon meringue pudding, or simply as a treat on its own. So easy to make, and an inexpensive recipe to demonstrate. Meringues are always a drawcard and may be served in many different ways. Place meringues in an attractive glass jar and catch the compliments.
Makes approximately 50 small meringues
Ingredients:
- 3 large egg whites
- 210 g castor sugar (250 ml) (1 cup)
- 5 ml vanilla essence (1 teaspoon) or 1 vanilla bean pod, scraped
- 5 ml white vinegar
- 30 ml boiling water (2 tablespoons)
- 10 ml baking powder (2 teaspoons)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 100ºC (Gas mark ¼).
- Line baking trays with baking paper; do not grease (do not use greaseproof paper).
- Using a clean, dry bowl of the electric food mixer, whisk egg whites until a soft peak is formed.
- Add sugar spoon by spoon, slowly whisking hard all the time.
- With the last spoon of sugar, mix in vanilla essence, or vanilla bean paste, and whisk well.
- Add boiling water and whisk again for about 5 minutes.
- Lastly, add baking powder and whisk for a minute.
- Place mixture into a piping bag that has been fitted with a nozzle.
- Pipe onto prepared baking trays.
- Bake for 60 minutes. Switch off the oven and leave in the oven, if possible, for a further 30 minutes.
Tips:
• Make them smaller so they will cook slightly more quickly and will last a whole Saturday morning’s demonstration.
• Use a disposable piping bag for easy clean-up later.
• Toast hazelnuts in an oven of 180ºC/160ºC fan/ Gas mark 4 for 15 – 20 minutes, until skin starts to blister; tip into a clean tea towel, and fold up.
• Rub the hazelnuts in the tea towel until the skins peel away.
• Then chop or process in a mini-chopper or NutriBullet until desired consistency is reached.
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