Meringue Swans with Vanilla Cream

Makes 7

Ingredients

4 large egg whites

½ tsp cream of tartar, or 1 tsp lemon juice, or white wine vinegar 220g caster sugar

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

A few raspberries and some double cream

Method

Make sure that your mixing bowl is clean and not greasy, as that would prevent the egg whites from reaching their full volume. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on a medium-low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and keep whisking until soft peaks form. While mixer is running, add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and increase mixing speed to medium-high. Adding the sugar slowly and continuing to beat may take 5-10 mins.

The meringue is ready once stiff peaks form, it’s glossy and completely smooth but not dry, and the sugar is fully dissolved. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in vanilla extract. Transfer meringue to a piping bag. To prevent the parchment paper from sliding, pipe a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the paper and ‘stick’ it to the pan. With a plain nozzle in the bag, pipe the ‘necks’. The design is an upside down number two. When you come round the top of the neck, stop pushing out the bag and it should come out a nice point as the nozzle keeps pulling away to the tip of the Swan’s ‘beak’. The body is two pieces of meringue that sandwich together either side of the base of the swan’s neck part. Pipe out firmly and when the meringue swells on the sheet, pull towards you. Place in oven at 100°C. Bake for 2-3 hours.

They are ready when they lift off the sheet cleanly. When ready, switch off the oven and leave to cool in there. Whip double cream with a touch of vanilla and caster sugar until firm. Fill a piping bag, pipe onto the base of the two wings, pop a couple raspberries in and place one either side of the swan’s neck piece. Pipe a little cream on a plate and place the swan on that cream anchor. Dust with Blue Spirulina or icing sugar.