Meringa
SERVES 6–8
8 egg whites
10 tbsp. superfine sugar
A pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
Beat the egg whites until the whites form firm peaks. You’ll know the egg whites are thick enough when you can hold the bowl upside down over your head!
With the mixer still running, add the sugar gradually, then the pinch of salt. Turn the mixer up to its highest setting and beat for about 2–3 minutes. Keep a close eye on the meringue—if you whisk it for too long, it will deflate.
Using a tablespoon, place dollops of the mixture onto the wax paper–lined pan (if you want to be fancy, you can pipe it through an icing bag into squares or other shapes as shown) and bake in the oven for about 2 hours, until the meringues are crisp on the outside and chewy and a little gooey in the middle (they won’t spread, so you can put them as close together as you like). Turn off the oven and let the meringue rest there overnight so that it reaches room temperature gradually. If you rush it, the meringue will absorb moisture from the air and will be gooey instead of crisp. Serve crumbled over ice cream, with berries and cream, or just plain with a cup of coffee.