Course: Main
Servings: 24 meringues
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
- Local Shetland hen's egg whites - 5
- Caster sugar - 10 oz
Instructions:
- Before you start make sure everything is absolutely clean. Wash any bowls and egg beaters you are using, even if they are already clean. We don't want any specs of dust in our meringues!
- Rubbish eggs do not work as well as home or locally grown eggs; they take so much longer to get to the peak stage, and they don't peak as well as they could. If you can't get local eggs make sure you get free range ones from your local shop.
- Place the egg whites in your clean bowl, making sure any non-egg white is removed. Use a broken shell to remove any bits of shell or stringy bits.
- Start the mixer off slow for a few minutes and then speed it up.
- When the egg whites are light and fluffy and starting to hold their shape, slowly sprinkle in the caster sugar (2 oz for each egg white) while the mixer is continuously beating.
- The mixer will leave a trail in the meringue when it is ready.
- Line a baking tray with baking parchment or foil.
- Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
- Gently press down from the top of the piping bag to make sure there are no air bubbles present, and pipe small meringues about 3 inches in diameter.
- Place in a preheated 100 C oven (110 C fan oven) for 60-90 minutes (90 is better, but 60 will do if you are in a hurry). The low temperature helps keep them white - essentially you are drying them out instead of cooking them.
- After 90 minutes, turn the heat off and open the oven door, but leave the meringues inside to cool down to room temperature.
- Serve as is, or sandwich together with cream or chocolate. Meringues will keep for a week or so in an airtight container.
