Make your own eye-candy candies.

Brighten your day with a bit of easier-than-you-think candy-making and baking

VANILLA MERINGUES

Prep time 5 mins Baking time 1 hour 30 mins Makes 8 1 slice of lemon 5 large egg whites 300g caster sugar 2 vanilla pods 1¼ tsp cornflour Preheat the oven to 150°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Wipe the inside of a bowl with lemon to remove any traces of fat and dry it completely with a paper towel. Pour in the egg whites and, using an electric mixer, whisk until they form soft peaks. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition, until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Scrape the seeds from the pods and add them with the cornflour to the egg mix. Beat to incorporate. Drop dessertspoonfuls of the mixture on to the baking tray in dollops. Bake for 90 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow to cool without removing the meringues.