Let the meringues
begin!
Here's
my basic recipe :
4 fl
oz egg whites
225g/8oz
caster sugar
As is always my mantra, get yourself sorted before you start
whisking.
Your oven should be pre-heated 90fan/110c/Gas ¼ – very
cool/very slow.
Cut your parchment to size for two baking sheets measuring 30x30
cms.
You'll need a plain nozzle and a piping bag.
Whisk your eggs whites until they are stiff – the old fashioned
way of testing whether they are stiff enough is to tip the bowl
upside down over your head – if the mixture doesn't move it's
ready! Add half the caster sugar and whisk again until stiff. Fold
in the remaining sugar. Your mixture is now ready for the piping
bag.
The best way is to show you :
The great thing about disposable piping bags is that you can cut
them to size. The end of the bag is snipped to fit your nozzle. If
you look at the top of the bag you'll see it's turned over – this
is deliberate. Fold the bag over your hand – it enables you to
have a steady hold on your bag. Spoon the mixture into the bag until
two thirds full and gently ease the mixture towards the nozzle
expelling any air. Twist the top of the bag and hold and then use
your other hand to steady the nozzle end.
Place a tiny blob of mixture in each corner of your baking trays
and “glue” your parchment to the tray.
Holding the nozzle approximately 4cms above the tray squeeze the
bag gently and then tilt the bag away in an upward direction so that
you create a little kiss curl – not for nothing are these called
“Kisses”.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Peel the kisses gently from the parchment and you can see there's
no trace of where the meringue mixture has been.
This recipe will give you approximately 40 kisses. You can store
them in strong ziplok type bags or in tins lined with parchment with
well fitting lids. You can buy pretty glass jars with well fitting
lids – like the one below. Store in a cool, dry place – NOT in
the fridge and they'll keep for 2 weeks – if they last that long!
There's more to come …