Almond Meringues

Any of my friends will confirm I have a weakness for the big colourful meringues on display in bakeries. Also candy floss. I'll usually eat an entire cookie/candy floss then complain about feeling ill for the rest of the day and get sugar all over my clothes. I'm 30.

Almond Meringues

I found this recipe when I was googling meringue recipes. I found it here: https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/pistachio-meringues-with-cream/. If you're thinking 'but this says pistachios', you are correct. It is a recipe for pistachio meringues, but, my local Tesco doesn't sell ground pistachios and I am far too lazy to shell and grind them, so I bought ground almonds instead. I've also simplified the recipe to include only meringue cookies of no notable shape. Maybe one day I'll make it properly, but today is not that day.

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

150g caster sugar

60g ground almonds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 110˚C

Prepare a baking sheet (or 2 if you have 2) by lining it with foil, then parchment paper

Beat egg whites using a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form

These pictures show the stages between straight up egg white and stiff peaks:

Gradually beat in caster sugar, c.1 Tbsp at a time, until thick and glossy

Fold in the ground almonds

Dollop meringues onto a baking tray*

I fit 6, and the batter will make 12 if done this way

Bake 60 minutes for soft centres and 90 minutes for crisper ones

I prefer a soft centre, and these meringues are on the large side compared to the ones the recipe was written for, so I have opted for 75 minutes.

Turn off oven, and leave meringues in the oven to cool

These are how mine turned out, they are definitely soft on the inside, which I like

These cookies are very light and fluffy. If I made them again, I would probably bake them 10 minutes longer.

*If you are making 2 batches, meringue batter will apparently keep for up to 24 hours if left covered in the refrigerator.