Meringues
I’ve built this house on meringues and doughnuts. One memory that is etched into my mind from going to Italy as a child is the towers of multi-flavoured meringues piled high on cakestands everywhere. I’d eat these delights on a Sunday with my family, with dollops of mascarpone cream and seasonal fruit. Smash them up and make an Eton mess; add nuts, flavours and colours; and pipe them or shape them however you like. And they’re gluten-free. 200g free-range egg whites Pinch of salt
200g caster sugar 100g good-quality plain dark chocolate, roughly
chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla paste 1 cup freeze-dried raspberries
Preheat oven to 90°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
Place egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar a little at a time, whisking well between each addition until sugar dissolves. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk on high speed for about 3 minutes.
Gently fold through your desired flavour or leave out flavour for basic meringues.
Use two spoons to drop meringue onto the lined tray, leaving 5cm spaces between each meringue.
Bake for 2 hours, then turn oven off and leave meringues inside to cool completely. Makes 10