Have you ever bought a plate or bowl, with the intention of making something for it? I know it sounds strange, but this happens to me sometimes. For instance, when I saw this brilliantblue bowl, I immediately saw Nikujaga written all over it. And so I bought it and made that. And it was the perfect pairing.
When I bought this pink princess plate, I envisioned macarons in a delicate shade of pink, sitting pretty on it.
Well, I was going to make macarons, but chickened out at the very last minute because of all the hearsay … them being fussy little divas. And I didn’t want to waste a Saturday morning on failed project. So I opted for the more even-tempered sister, the meringue. But in the requisite shade of pink, for my girly plate.
They turned out so pretty and sweet (pun intended), I couldn’t help but accessorise them with my faux pearl bracelets. OK OK, I have my “moments”, but pink never fails to bring out the girly girl in me. You can imagine how I love to dress up my daughter 😉 LOL! Thank goodness she is all sugar and spice!
Recipe
(adapted from here)
– 6 large egg whites (at room temperature)
– 2 1/2 tablespoons castor sugar
– 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (280g)
– 3/4 cup ground almonds (about 150g)
– 2 drops red food colouring (optional)
* Note that I halved the recipe.
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degree celsius.
2. Trace your meringue circles on baking sheets.
3. Beat egg whites to soft peaks and gradually add 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff.
4. Combine 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and ground almonds, as well as colouring (if using); fold into egg whites. I folded in 2 batches.
5. This mixture can now be used to form layers, or designs or whatever your choose.
6. Simply spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with the tip of your choice, and pipe your designs onto the baking sheets.
7. Dust lightly with powdered sugar (optional).
8. Then bake the your meringue until crisp and lightly golden. I turned off the oven at the first hint of “light golden” and left the meringues to continue baking on their own.
9. When baked, leave the meringues to cool slowly in the oven with door slightly ajar.
