Using up egg whites (meringue kisses and nests)

We entertained friends at the weekend and had made a couple of things that only needed egg yolks.  I therefore needed to use up the egg whites so that they were not wasted.  I had stored them in the fridge in a glass with a lid on overnight.  One of my favourite desserts is Eton mess and my berries are ready and so I thought that I would make some meringue kisses.

Meringue kisses store in a tin or an air tight container for up to 3 months, and so once made I will be able to use them for lots of desserts in the future.  I also find that sometimes eating just one meringue kiss can cure my craving for something sweet.  People think that meringues are full of sugar and so avoid them, but they only have 100g of sugar per 2 egg whites which makes loads, and just using 3 or 5 in a dessert can satisfy that need for sweetness.

There are lots of ways to make meringue using fancy ingredients, or cornflour, but I just use egg whites and sugar and it turns out fine.  I use this meringue recipe to make meringue nests, kisses or as a base like a pavlova.  It has always worked fine for me and I think that I got the recipe originally from a Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall book.  I made double the recipe today as I had 4 egg whites but it makes a lot of meringue kisses just with the original 2 egg white recipe.  To make the meringue kisses special I add some food colour to some of the mixture which looks nice for occasions like Christmas.

Meringue Recipe

2 egg whites

100g sugar (I just use granulated but you can use caster sugar).

Method

1. Put the oven on at 100C
2. Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat. You might need 2 trays
3. Put the egg whites into a clean bowl that is not greasy, and whisk until it forms soft peaks
4. Add half the sugar and whisk again.
5. Add the rest of the sugar and whisk until it is thick and creamy and holds it’s shape (I do the holding the bowl upside down test).
6. If I am making kisses or nests I put an icing bag into a jug with a piping nozzle attached (2D), fill the bag with the mixture, and then pipe out the shape I want. Before I had a piping nozzle I just used to use a teaspoon and put small blobs onto the parchment for kisses, or bigger blobs if I wanted to sandwich two meringues together.
7. Place the trays into the oven for about 45 minutes for the kisses, and longer if you are making bigger meringues or nests.  I test mine by touching them as they will be crisp.
8. This recipe will make a tray full of kisses or about 8 meringue nests.
9. Once cooked, cool them on a the tray and then ease them off and store them in an air tight tin when totally cold.  I have often been eating them in March when I have made them for Christmas.

Ways of using meringue kisses.

1. Eton Mess.  Mix some whipped double cream (or ice cream) in a dish with some fresh raspberries or strawberries and add some crushed or whole meringue kisses.  I some times make a bit of sauce to drizzle over by crushing a few raspberries and mixing with a teaspoon of icing sugar.
2. Sandwich some kisses together using cream or chocolate spread to place on a dessert platter, or for a mini treat.
3. Crush and fold into ice cream with some home made lemon curd when making the home made ice cream.
4. Dip the kisses in melted chocolate and use as a sweet snack or on a dessert platter.
5. Make lemon curd tarts with left over pastry and place a couple of kisses on top for a quick lemon meringue pie.
6. Use to decorate cakes or  larger tarts.
7. Place a few on top of a dish of Greek yoghurt and fruit to make it feel like you are not being too healthy and depriving yourself of something sweet.
8. Decorate a trifle
9. Decorate chocolate mousse or lemon posset.
10. Throw a few into warm rice pudding with some strawberry jam.

Today I also made some meringue nests as well as some meringue kisses.  I usually fill the meringues with cream and place berries from the garden on top.  This is the perfect time to be making Eton Mess and meringue nests as it is harvesting time. What do you do with meringue when you make it?