Red and green striped meringues

Photo: Salt & Lavender

Paint stripes of gel color inside the piping bag and every meringue comes out striped. Natasha's are egg whites and sugar, gluten-free and fat-free, and they look like a Christmas tree ornament.

From Natasha Bull at Salt & Lavender · @saltandlavender

Egg whites whipped with cream of tartar and sugar into a stiff glossy meringue, piped from a bag painted inside with red and green stripes, dried low in the oven.

You need

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup (200 g) superfine sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• Red and green gel food coloring

How to make it

1. Heat the oven to 220°F and line two sheets with parchment.
2. Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form.
3. Turn the mixer to high and add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, taking 8 to 10 minutes, until the meringue is stiff, glossy and not gritty between your fingers. Beat in the extracts.
4. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and turn it inside out. With a thin brush, paint stripes of red and green gel from the tip up the inside of the bag. Turn it right side out and fill it with meringue.
5. Pipe 1 1/2-inch kisses onto the sheets. The first few will be heavy on color; keep going.
6. Bake 1 1/2 hours, then turn the oven off and leave them inside at least another hour to dry. Store airtight; humidity makes them sticky.

For a swap: Light but fragile. Pack them in a tin, not a bag, and keep them dry.

Written in our own words from Natasha Bull's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Red and green striped meringues, Salt & Lavender.

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