White Meringue Nests Recipe

Ingredients: Makes 8 nests

3 egg whites
175 g/6 oz caster (superfine) sugar
A few drops of vanilla essence (extract)

Method:

Lay a sheet of baking parchment on a dampened baking (cookie) sheet. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add 15 ml/1 tbsp of the sugar and the vanilla and whisk again until stiff and glossy. Gradually whisk in half the remaining sugar, then fold in the remainder with a metal spoon. Spoon eight round heaps of the mixture a little apart on the baking sheet and hollow out slightly in the centers to form nests. Rough up the mixture slightly round the tops. Bake in a preheated oven at 110°C/225°F/gas mark / for 2-3 hours or until crisp but still white. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Carefully lift off the paper and store in an airtight container.