I don’t buy into the idea of Valentine’s Day as a mandate for romance — I prefer spontaneity. I do, however, enjoy playing with food colouring, and since pink and red are everywhere at this time of year I like to make the most of it in the kitchen.
These bright raspberry meringue kisses have a pretty striped effect. The stripes are created by painting lines of gel food colouring down the inside of a piping bag before filling it with the meringue.
I used a pink gel colouring, but any gel colour will work. I intended pale pink stripes but painted a little heavily, so mine turned out almost red — still very pretty.
The raspberry flavour comes from folding seedless raspberry jam into the meringue after it has been whipped to stiff peaks. I was initially unsure if the jam would stop the meringues from crisping, but they turned out crisp with a delicate raspberry taste.
I made several batches—some flavoured with jam and others with powdered freeze-dried raspberries. We preferred the jam version, so that is the recipe below. If you choose freeze-dried raspberries instead, grind about 2 ½ tablespoons to a fine powder, sieve to remove any seeds, and fold gently into the meringue.
Bake time for meringues varies by oven. These small kisses can take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours. Bake at a very low temperature (as low as your oven will go) and start checking after 35 minutes, then every 15–20 minutes until they’re done.
Because of the jam, the meringues may feel slightly soft when you remove them, but they firm up after a minute or two. To test doneness, remove a meringue and let it rest a moment, then try peeling it off the paper: if it lifts off cleanly with the base intact, it’s ready. If not, return the tray to the oven for another 15 minutes and check again.
These little meringues are lovely on their own, scattered over ice cream, or used as decorations for cakes.
Raspberry Meringue Kisses
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- 150 g (1 + ½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
- 3 level tbsp seedless raspberry jam use a proper measuring spoon
- pink gel food colouring
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 100°C / 215°F / gas mark ¼.
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Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
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Beat the egg whites in a large, spotlessly clean bowl with an electric whisk or stand mixer until soft peaks form.
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Add the sugar gradually, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition until all the sugar is incorporated.
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Whisk a few minutes more until the mixture is very thick, glossy and forms stiff peaks.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the jam until smooth, then fold it very gently into the meringue until evenly combined.
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Fit a piping bag with a large plain or star nozzle (or snip the corner off a disposable bag). Turn the bag inside-out over a jug or your arm, hold the nozzle, and use a clean artist’s paintbrush to paint stripes of gel colouring down the inside of the bag.
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Turn the bag right-side-out, fill with the meringue and twist the top closed. Use a little meringue to stick the greaseproof paper to the trays so it doesn’t move while piping, then pipe small kisses, spaced slightly apart. You can pipe a few different sizes for variety.
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Bake for about 45 minutes, but be aware they may take up to two hours depending on your oven. They’re ready when they can be lifted off the paper in one piece; if the base peels away, they need more time.
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Because of the jam, they may feel slightly soft when removed from the oven but will firm up as they cool. Let them sit for a couple of minutes, then try lifting them off the paper. If they’re not firm, return them to the oven for another 15 minutes and check again.
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Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.
These meringues are simple to make and add a delightful, colourful touch to desserts or a sweet treat on their own. Enjoy experimenting with colours and sizes to create your own pretty batch.