Meringues and how to make them

In this week’s post, local Nelson chef and guest Blogger, Grant Dicker is gearing up for the festive season. In this post he’s sharing his recipe for meringues. Take it away, Grant…

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The aisle at Fresh Choice Nelson is brimming with delicious berry fruit, and the season is only just getting started. I love berries and a great festive dessert that is quick and easy to make is Chocolate Berry Meringue.

There are so many great ways to serve meringues. Add freeze-dried fruit powder to the raw mix to make them more interesting. Or swap the berries for fresh cherries. Later in the season meringues are great with passion fruit. You can even crush them up and mix with cream and berries for ‘Eton Mess’.

Making Meringues:

Ingredients:

• 4 large organic egg whites at room temperature
• 115g caster sugar
• 115g icing sugar

Preparation tip: Always use a metal or glass bowl for whipping egg whites. Wipe your bowl with a little lemon juice before preparation to ensure there is no greasy residue on the bowl.

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 110 degC.
2. Line two baking sheets with good quality non-stick baking paper.
3. Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean metal or glass mixing bowl. Beat them on medium speed with a cake mixer until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
4. Now turn the speed up and start to add the caster sugar a sprinkle at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It’s important to add the sugar slowly or the meringues may weep. However, don’t over-beat. When ready the mixture should be thick and glossy.
5. Sift the icing sugar and add it a third at a time. Again, don’t overmix. The mixture should now look smooth and like a pillow.
6. Scoop up a heaped dessert spoonful of the mixture. Using another dessert spoon, ease it onto the baking sheet to make an oval shape. You can also just drop them in rough rounds if you prefer.
7. Bake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
8. Leave them to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. The meringues will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or frozen for a month.
9. Top with whipped cream, fresh berries and shavings of dark chocolate.

Don’t forget to head to Fresh Choice Nelson for all your ingredients, or shop online with our click-and-collect service!