Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Can you believe this mountain of meringues was made from just four egg whites?  They were leftover from Pete’s pasticcio and I was loathe to waste them.  I’ve frozen half of these meringues and left the remainder in the cookie jar for emergency sugar hits.

Meringues are the easiest thing ever – for each egg white, you’ll need 60 grams  (2oz) of caster (superfine) sugar and a tiny bit of vanilla.  My batch of four whites used 240g caster sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla.

Preheat the oven to 150C (300F).  Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff, then gradually (a spoonful at a time) beat in the sugar.  Add the vanilla and continue beating, until your mixture is thick and glossy.

Drop dessertspoon dollops of the mixture onto baking trays lined with parchment paper.  You should have enough to make a ludicrous number of meringues.  Put the trays into the oven, and immediately drop the oven temperature to 110C (230F) or 100C (210F) with fan.  Allow the trays to bake until the meringues are light and crisp, about 65 – 75 minutes.  This makes a dry, crunchy meringue that will keep well – if you want a more marshmallow centre, you’ll need to bake them for less time on a slightly higher heat.  It’s worth playing around with small batches until you’re happy with them (after all, it’s only a couple of egg whites and some sugar).

Once the meringues are cooked, allow them to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.  This will give them a chance to dry out properly, without getting too sticky on the outside.  For some reason it’s quite hard to make meringues on a humid day – the end result is often a bit gummy and soft.  Enjoy!

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Edit: You can also make swirly meringues – a very girly party favourite!