The Grow Box - LOVE FOOD – LOVE LIFE

Directions

• Pop the oven on 140C
• To find out how much sugar to use weigh the eggs whites and then double it
• Put the sugar on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and heat in the oven for 5 mins
• Wipe out your mixing bowl with a slice of lemon to remove any grease and then whip up the egg whites and the cream of tartare until they form stiff peaks
• Remove the sugar from the oven and turn it down to 90/100C, my oven cooks hot so I normally go with the lower temperature
• Gradually add the warm sugar to the egg whites, continue to whip until all the sugar has been added. Take a pinch of the mixture and rub it between your fingers, it should feel smooth. If it is still grainy continue to whip
• On a baking tray lined with greaseproof put 4-5 good sized ‘blobs’ of mixture
• Decorate the meringues with a mixture of toppings, I swirled food colouring using the handle of a teaspoon, added freeze dried raspberries, cocoa powder and chopped nuts
• Bake the meringues in the oven for approximately 1 1/2 – 2 hours. I check regularly to make sure they are not browning on the edges. After 1 1/2 hours I carefully tap the bottoms, if they sound hollow turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the cooling oven for another hour
• The meringues will keep for a week in an airtight container. We serve ours with a sharp fruit sorbet to cut through the sweetness