Leftover Egg White Meringues!

So, I had some leftover egg whites from making the custard for the dampfnudel.  I could have made macarons - but I would have had to go out for ground almonds.  I could have made chocolate mousse - but I would have had to go out for double cream.  (Are you sensing a theme here?!)  So I decided to make meringues, as they only require egg whites and sugar :)

Full recipe here - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2445/ultimate-meringue

(Although I did modify it slightly...)

Ingredients

• 4 large organic egg whites, at room temperature
• 115g caster sugar
• 115g icing sugar

Method

Step One: Make the Meringue

Preheat the oven to 100C.  Beat the egg whites until they look like a fluffy cloud.  Add the caster sugar one spoonful at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.  Then sift in the icing sugar and fold.  (I then divided the mixture in two and added 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to create a chocolate swirl.)

Step Two: Pipe the Meringue

I decided I wanted a chocolate swirl meringue, so I spooned my two mixtures into either side of my piping bag.  If I did this again, I would only make 1/3 of the mixture chocolate so as to have a more clearly defined swirl.  I drew small circles onto baking paper and piped my meringue into swirls.  I don't think I beat it enough though as it did not keep its shape perfectly.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours (check after 1 hour) until the meringue sounds hollow when you gently tap the bottom.  

Step Three: Assemble the Meringues

Finally, I made a quick chocolate buttercream.  I have to admit that I have no "recipe" for buttercream, I just add ingredients until it reaches the right consistency!  I always start with a tablespoonful of salted butter, otherwise I find icing is always too sweet.  Then I add icing sugar and beat until stiff.  Obviously, as this was a chocolate buttercream, I also added a tablespoon of cocoa powder.  When it gets stiff, I add a tablespoon of boiling water and beat until smooth.  As I said, I add different amounts of butter and icing sugar until I get a smooth, spreadable buttercream.  I matched up my meringues into similar sizes (I must get better at consistency!)  Then I piped buttercream onto one meringue and sandwiched it with the other.

My score: 5/5 Very easy, quick to make (you do need to be around long enough for them to cook though), absolutely delicious!  Need to be made with something that needs egg yolks though, unless you are happy to use the egg whites in a carton (I'm not)

Julia's Top Tips

• Make sure the mixture is really stiff before you fold in the icing sugar
• Only make 1/3 of the mixture chocolate for a clearer swirl.
• Experiment with different colour and flavour combinations.  Maybe banana essence in the meringue with a caramel buttercream??  Or mint essence and chocolate ganache??  The possibilities are endless :)
• Don't leave them in the oven too long - mine were a little overdone.
• Do hide them from your husband if you want any left!