Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a generous helping of sweets, and Anna Gare’s mouth-watering meringues are both easy to make and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
The chef and TV host says kids and adults alike love making, cooking and eating them. The recipe, from her cookbook Eat In, makes eight, but you can double it if you’re catering for a party.
Ingredients
4 egg whites
220g (7¾ oz/1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
2 teaspoons rose syrup (see note)
1 tablespoon hot water
¼ teaspoon natural vanilla extract
200ml (7 fl oz) thickened cream, whipped, to serve
fresh raspberries, to serve
icing (confectioners’) sugar (optional), to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 120C (235F/gas ½) and arrange an oven rack on the middle shelf. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Whisk the egg whites, sugar, vinegar, cornflour, rose syrup, hot water and vanilla extract together using an electric mixer on high speed for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
Spoon onto the prepared tray to make eight meringue nests, about 68 cm (2½–3¼ inches) in diameter.
Bake for 40 minutes, then turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven. They should be crunchy on the outside and like marshmallow on the inside.
To serve, top the meringues with the whipped cream and raspberries, and dust with a little icing sugar, if you like. You can always start the diet tomorrow!
Note: Rose syrup is available from Continental delicatessens.