Meringues, Meringues and More Meringues

I think the biggest realisation of living in the UK is that simplicity is a beauty in itself. I remember when I left Hong Kong, someone at work said to me, 'There is no way you can stand the boring life in the UK. You are definitely going back in a few years' time.' I have been here for about 8 months now and I am grateful that I enjoy my simple life here... Gone were the days I worked for 12 hours a day, gone were the days of unreasonable phonecalls from clients and gone were the days where I had to mind my every little step in the name of prudence...

To put forward my case that - simple is good, I offer you this simple but heavenly meringue with a crunchy shell and marshmallowly centre...

Serves 8

For Meringue Nests

Ingredients:

1. 2 large egg whites
2. 100g caster sugar
3. pink food colouring (optional)
   

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 150c.
• Whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer on a low speed. Whisk until the whites are foamy, then switch the speed gradually to high and continue whisking the whites until stiff peaks form.
• Then add in the sugar gradually, one tablespoonful each time, into the whites until you have a glossy and stiff mixture. Add in food coloring.
• On a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, spoon and shape the mixture to form 8 little nests.
• Immediately, put them into oven and reduce the heat to 140c. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Turn off the heat in the oven and allow the meringue to dry out in the oven for a few hours or overnight.

What to do with meringue:

1. Place Cadbury's Mini Eggs in the meringue (as pictured above).
2. Whip up some cream and mix it with the pulp of passionfruit/some raspberries and rest the mixture on the meringue.

3. Make Eton Mess by crumbling a meringue nest and mix it with strawberries and whipped cream and strawberry juice (by whizzing the strawberries in a food processor and sieve out the pulp and seeds). Or if you fancy a less known version of Eton Mess, mash up a banana with a few drops of lime juice and mess it up with cream and crumbled meringue...