Meringue Kisses

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Are these meringue kisses not just the sweetest way to enjoy meringue?! We think so, and I love that they're bite sized, so you can grab a tiny boost of sweetness whenever you fancy.

Meringue is basically aerated egg white that has been whisked with sugar to create a stiff and glossy foam. You can then add flavouring or colouring to create the taste and look you want. Typically, meringue is baked (low and slow is key!) to dry out the foam and leave a firm and crisp structure behind, and is popularly used in desserts.

For these meringue kisses, I used a simple vanilla Italian meringue mixture before piping the kisses. If you're thinking, "I thought there was only one way to make meringue, now what in the world is Italian meringue??", I'm about to tell you! The difference between different meringue varieties lies in when and how the sugar is introduced to the egg white.

For Italian meringue, the sugar is first mixed with some water and cooked into a sugar syrup. This is then slowly added to egg white that has been whisked to a foamy texture. The hot sugar cooks the egg white to create a very stable mixture, so there is very little risk of over-whisking Italian meringue and causing egg separation.

Depending on what you're using the meringue kisses for, you can pipe them into plain round kisses or patterned ones (I've also done some star shaped ones here). The larger the opening of your piping bag or tip, the wider the bases of your kisses will be.

Eat these sweet meringue kisses on their own, or incorporate them into your favourite dessert! These make the sweetest addition to an Eton mess.

For a festive treat, try these peppermint meringue kisses - they taste just like candy canes!

Baked meringue will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for approximately two weeks.

Here's what you'll need to make these meringue kisses:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

2 egg whites (from large eggs, ~80g)
160g caster sugar
32ml water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of salt

And here's what you'll need to do:

• Separate the eggs, and place the whites into a clean mixing bowl. Save the yolks for another recipe. Leave the egg whites for about an hour to warm to room temperature.
• When you're ready to mix the meringue, preheat the oven to 120C (250F) / 100C Fan.
• Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and swirl together to wet the sugar.

• Whisk the egg whites on low speed using an electric mixer until they become foamy, double in volume and form soft peaks.
• Simultaneously, cook the sugar and water together into a syrup until it boils clear. If you have a food thermometer, the sugar syrup should reach about 121C (250F) when it is done (you can turn off the heat just before it reaches temperature). Be VERY CAREFUL - boiling sugar is extremely hot!

• With the whisk still on at low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the egg white, keeping it near the edge of the bowl away from the mixing attachment so it doesn't splatter. Add a little at a time until all the sugar has been poured in.
• Turn the mixer up to medium, and continue whisking until the mixture cools to room temperature. Whisk in the salt and vanilla extract. The meringue is ready when it becomes thick and glossy and forms stiff peaks.

• Fill a piping bag with with the meringue mixture, massaging it a bit to get rid of any air bubbles.
• Snip the tip off the bag (about 2cm wide, you can also use a piping tip, if you like). Put a small dollop of meringue on each corner of the baking sheet, using it to hold down the sheet of parchment paper.

• Pipe the meringue into rows of kisses. They can be quite close together, as the kisses will not expand in the oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes. Then turn off the heat, and leave the meringue in the sealed oven to cool until completely cold (two hours or even overnight.
• Use straight away or store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Meringue Kisses

By Wendy | Serves 4

Crisp, light and airy and just the right amount of sweet, these meringue kisses make the ideal bite sized treat.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 100 little kisses
Course: Dessert, Treat
Cuisine: Modern European
Tags: Dessert, ItalianMeringue

Ingredients

2 egg whites (from large eggs, ~80g)
160g caster sugar
32ml water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of salt

Method

1. Separate the eggs, and place the whites into a clean mixing bowl. Save the yolks for another recipe. Leave the egg whites for about an hour to warm to room temperature.
2. When you're ready to mix the meringue, preheat the oven to 120C (250F) / 100C Fan.
3. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and swirl together to wet the sugar.
4. Whisk the egg whites on low speed using an electric mixer until they become foamy, double in volume and form soft peaks.
5. Simultaneously, cook the sugar and water together into a syrup until it boils clear. If you have a food thermometer, the sugar syrup should reach about 121C (250F) when it is done (you can turn off the heat just before it reaches temperature). Be VERY CAREFUL - boiling sugar is extremely hot!
6. With the whisk still on at low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the egg white, keeping it near the edge of the bowl away from the mixing attachment so it doesn't splatter. Add a little at a time until all the sugar has been poured in.
7. Turn the mixer up to medium, and continue whisking until the mixture cools to room temperature. Whisk in the salt and vanilla extract. The meringue is ready when it becomes thick and glossy and forms stiff peaks.
8. Fill a piping bag with with the meringue mixture, massaging it a bit to get rid of any air bubbles.
9. Snip the tip off the bag (about 2cm wide, you can also use a piping tip, if you like). Put a small dollop of meringue on each corner of the baking sheet, using it to hold down the sheet of parchment paper.
10. Pipe the meringue into rows of kisses. They can be quite close together, as the kisses will not expand in the oven.
11. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes. Then turn off the heat, and leave the meringue in the sealed oven to cool until completely cold (two hours or even overnight.
12. Use straight away or store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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