Rose water meringues

If love and romance is in the air, try these pretty pink scented meringues. They are delicious with some freshly whipped cream.

Rose water is a love-or-hate ingredient, so it’s up to you if you want to serve these on Valentine’s Day.

The trick with meringues is to add the sugar slowly, slowly, slowly. It makes all the difference. Makes 8–10 fabulous meringues.

INGREDIENTS

3 organic free-range eggs. Weigh just the egg whites (make sure they are at room temperature). White caster sugar. Weigh double the weight of the egg whites. Pink food colouring, a few drops.

1⁄2 tsp of rose water. Pinch o f salt.

METHOD

1. Beat the egg whites and the salt until stiff. You’ll need a hand mixer or a table top mixer is ever better.

2. Beat in the sugar, a teaspoonful at a time.

3. Finally add the rose water and enough food colouring to give a lovely pale pink colour. The food colouring doesn’t have to be completely blended, as a marbled effect can be very pretty. The mixture should be firm and light.

4. Pipe tiny meringues onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.

5. Place in a preheated oven at gas mark 2/150C and turn the oven off. Leave in the oven for an hour-and-a-half if you like them chewy, or overnight if you prefer your meringues dry. Carina Contini is Owner of The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant located at the gardens entrance of the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh