Striped Meringues
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 1.5 hours
Cooking time: 2 hours
Pavlova
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2/3 cup CSR caster sugar
For circus striped Meringues
- Food colour - of your choice
- Paintbrushes (only used for food, I didn't need to point that out I'm sure :))
- Disposable piping bags
- Gold lustre dust
Flower meringues
- 2D piping tip
- Disposable piping bag
- Food colour gel of your choice
- Sugar flowers
For large sparkly meringues
- Plain large tip
- Disposable piping bag
- Small sprinkles
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 100C/212F. Line two baking trays with parchment. Make sure that your beater bowl and whisk are completely clean and dry. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a clean mixer with a whisk attachment. When it reaches soft, foamy peaks, gradually add the sugar. Whip until you get firm peaks - you should be able to turn the bowl upside down and the white should not move.
For circus striped meringues
Step 2 - With a paintbrush, paint stripes down the inside of the piping bags using a separate paintbrush for each colour (I made green and yellow ones). Fill with a small amount of meringue-about 1/2 of 3/4 cup of meringue will produce a vivid striped effect (the colour lessens towards the end of the meringue). Snip the end of the bag and pipe onto the parchment and bake for 1 hour until they can lift off the parchment. Brush with lustre powder (optional)
For flower meringues
Step 3 - With a toothpick, colour the meringues and place the 2D flower tip in the piping bag. Spoon some meringue in the bag and pipe large dollops. Place a flower on top and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until they can lift off the parchment.
For sparkly meringues
Step 4 - I find with the large meringues, using a piping tip helps to keep the shape. Use white meringue and fill a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle. Pipe the meringues and then scatter the sprinkles around the sides of the meringues. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until they can lift off the parchment.