BakeRecipes
Meringue Kisses
Prep 40min (+1-2hr cooling time)Bake 60-70minMakes about 50
Ingredients
2 egg whites (from 60g/2oz eggs)
110g (½ cup/4oz) caster sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence or extract
2 teaspoons gluten-free cornflour, sifted
Method
- Preheat oven to 110°C/230°F (90°C/195°F fan-forced). Line an oven tray with non-stick baking paper.
- Combine the egg whites and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl (preferably metal) and place over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir with a spatula or small whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot to touch (about 55-60°C on a sugar thermometer). Be careful not to allow the egg whites to cook.
- Transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer (see Baker’s Tips). Whisk the egg white mixture with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until very thick and glossy and the mixture has cooled to room temperature. Whisk in the vanilla and cornflour.
- Fill a large piping bag fitted with a 4B star (or #11/11mm/½in round) piping nozzle with the meringue mixture. Holding the piping nozzle about 1cm/½in above the tray, pipe small rosettes (or 'kisses') about 2.5cm/1in in diameter and 2cm apart on the lined tray.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until the meringues are crisp, hard to touch and peel away from the tray easily, but are not coloured.
- Remove the meringues from the oven and place immediately in an airtight container lined with absorbent paper
Variations
- Striped Meringue Kisses: Use a paintbrush to lightly brush evenly spaced vertical lines of food colouring gel on the inside of the large piping bag before spooning the meringue mixture into the piping bag. continue as per the recipe.
Baker's Tips
- The fan-forced setting is often too intense for baking meringues and will cause them to crack. If this is the case with your oven, opt for the conventional setting. However, if the meringues do crack when using the convention setting, your oven may be running a little hot and next time reduce the temperature by 5-10°C (41-50°F) as this will often help prevent them from cracking.
- If you don't have a small bowl for your mixer, first whisk the egg white mixture with a balloon whisk until it is foamy and doubled in volume before whisking with the stand mixer. This will make the whisking of the egg white mixture more efficient in a standard size bowl.
- Allowing the egg white mixture to come to room temperature before whisking will reduce the time it will take to whisk it to a meringue.
- These meringues will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
