RASPBERRY SWIRL MERINGUES - WHY NOT?

These meringues look really impressive piled up on a serving plate but they are actually so easy to make. The addition of the raspberry swirl gives them a lovely fruity taste. Heating the sugar before adding it to the whisked egg whites helps to cook the meringue mixture before it goes into the oven and produces meringues with a lovely crispy exterior.

Styled on Capri Summer tablecloth

Raspberry Sauce

  • 190g raspberries
  • 25g caster sugar

 

Meringues

  • 180g caster sugar
  • 3 egg whites
  • ½ tsp vanilla essence

 

Method

  1. To make the raspberry sauce, place the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and mash the fruit. Simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes, then strain through a sieve into a bowl, making sure you push all the flesh through to achieve a thick sauce. Discard the seeds and leave the sauce to cool.

  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the caster sugar evenly over the paper and bake for 3-5 minutes until the sugar is hot and just starting to melt around the edges.

  3. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a bowl with an electric whisk until they form soft peaks.

  4. Continue beating and gradually add the hot sugar and the vanilla essence. Keep whisking on a high speed for 8 minutes until stiff peaks form.

  5. Reduce the oven temperature to 110°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Use a large spoon to scoop dollops of the meringue mixture onto the trays. Leave enough space between each meringue to allow them to spread a little.

  6. Stir the raspberry sauce to combine well. Make a little hollow in the middle of each meringue, dribble a little of the sauce over each meringue and gently swirl with a skewer.

  7. Bake for 2 hours until crisp, then remove from the oven to cool.

  8. Pile up the meringues on a plate, dust with icing sugar and serve with fresh raspberries and whipped cream.  And eat!