Perfect meringues

A good while ago now, I promised Kate’s mum that she could have my meringue recipe and I completely forgot to give her it.

I remembered today as I was making meringues (purely to test out the new food processor) and so thought I should blog it so that she has the recipe.

Although it’s so easy I feel guilty about giving it out, feels like I’m cheating her somehow.

So Eli’s Meringues

You will need;

• 4 large egg whites
• 115 g caster sugar
• 115 g icing sugar
• 1/4 tea spoon of vinegar
• couple of drops of vanilla

 How do I make ‘em?

Dead easy;

1.Preheat the oven to fan 100C/ conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Tip the 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl and beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk or fancy new processor until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted. Now add in the vinegar and vanilla and give it a quick whisk. ( The vinegar is what makes the insides of the meringue chewy – yum!)

3. Now start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. You really really need to add the sugar slowly. Continue beating for 30-40 seconds between each addition. If you add the sugar too quickly you get a suagary leaking when the meringues cook which doesn’t look pretty.

When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy and look lucious :0).

4. Sift one third of the icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Don’t use a wooden spoon as it will knock the air out of the eggs. Tehn continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time.

5. Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the lovely mixture and drop them in rough rounds, or be all fancy and pipe them into little nests on the baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour 45mins hours in the oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.

Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack.

You can keep these in an airtight tin for a couple of weeks or even freeze them :0)