Espresso Meringues

[Disclaimer! Some of the more superfluous thoughts are in italics.]

Prep time: 45 mins (I’m slow, though, and don’t have an electrical whisk.)

Cooking time: 35 mins (I did 45 minutes, but I think that may have been too many minutes)

Cooling time: roughly 2 hours

Shelf life: can be stored in an airtight container for about 4 days.

1. ½ of a 1/3 cup caster sugar, the rest icing sugar (seriously, if you have enough caster sugar, use that instead of this icing sugar business.)
2. Pinch of salt.
3. 1 tsp Vanilla essence
4. 1 tsp Lemon juice (what in the hell is cream of tartar?? And why does the internet feel the liquid within a lemon can supplant this powder?)
5. 2 Tbs Espresso grains (instant coffee might’ve been less, well, grainy.)
6. 1/3 cup Chocolate chips cut or crushed smaller
7. 3 eggs’ whites at room temperature

Ok, to be honest, I didn’t realise until I was already emotionally committed to making these meringues that I didn’t have enough of some of the more important ingredients, so a big reason for these being what they are is due to me making shit up. That said, I’ve now had one and they’re pretty good, so woo!

1) Oven, fan forced, on 150⁰C (which I believe is 302⁰F) – preheating this business. You could potentially also do a lower heat and then do the full 45 mins. I might try this at some stage. Seems logical.

2) Separating the egg whites out into a big bowl, whisk those until they’re nice and frothy. Takes about a minute. (Like I said, I don’t have an electrical whisking apparatus, so all of this is old school. Or middle school. Whichever one comes at a time when hand whisks were where it’s at.)

3) One tbs at a time, whisk in the sugar and the pinch of salt. Try not to stir at any point. It messes with the consistency.

4) Add in the lemon juice, then whisk, add the vanilla extract, then whisk some more. Finally, add the espresso grains and keep whisking until the mixture is thick enough to hold its own peak or can be help upside down above your head with zero mess made.

5) Fold the chocolate in until mixed throughout.

6) After lining some baking trays with baking paper, grab two tablespoons and dollop some blobs onto the sheets.

Raw meringue dollops. Yum.

7) Put the trays into the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

8) Once baked, leave to cool inside the oven until both the over and the meringues are cool – roughly 2 hours.

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(#KarenInspires – 2018 A Bake a Day)