CAPPUCCINO MERINGUES

Makes: 6-8 Prep time: 40 minutes Cooking: 2 hours, plus cooling

• Bacofoil® Non-stick Baking

Paper • 4 eggs • Caster sugar • 1 tbsp instant espresso coffee

powder • 1 tbsp icing sugar • 1 tbsp boiling water • 1 tsp cornflour • Small pinch fine sea salt

To serve:

• Whipping cream • Dark chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 90°C/ gas mark 1/4, then line two baking trays with Bacofoil® Nonstick Baking Paper.

2. Dissolve the coffee completely in the boiling water then stir in the icing sugar until it forms a smooth paste. Set this aside for later on.

3. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two different bowls. Weigh the egg whites and measure out double the amount of caster sugar into another bowl. (Tip: you can save the egg yolks to use in another recipe).

4. Take your mixing bowl and ensure that it is completely clean and dry – the meringues won’t work if there is any moisture in the bowl. Tip the whites into the mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Whisk for a few minutes until soft peaks begin to form, then gradually begin adding the caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking continuously.

5. Sprinkle in the cornflour and continue to mix until very thick and glossy, and stiff peaks form. At this point you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without the mixture moving.

6. Drizzle the coffee paste over the top of the meringue mixture and gently fold over a few times using a large metal spoon. Don’t mix it in completely – you should have streaks and swirls of the coffee visible throughout the mixture when you're finished.

7. Spoon three to four fairly large piles of mixture onto each baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for two hours before turning off the oven and leaving the meringues inside until cooled completely. This will help to ensure that they don’t collapse

8. When completely cooled, take them out of the oven and transfer them to a serving plate – the meringues will lift off the Non-stick Baking Paper with ease.

9. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on the side and grated chocolate over the top.