Strawberry and Nutella Meringues

Clouds of flavour ... that's how I'd describe these. 

And I'd have to admit that I am usually not a big fan of meringues,  but these have just enough crunch, just enough chewiness, and just enough tartness to make them quite delicious.   

They are good, really good. 

Pair them with ice-cream and fresh berries, and you'll have an easy yet impressive dessert. 

When I made the first batch, I only had 2 fresh eggs in the house. This was just before Christmas, where you avoid going to the shops at all costs. 

So I made up for the absent egg by reconstituting meringue powder with warm water. I've made meringues with just meringue powder before, and while very convenient - I wasn't convinced about the taste.  This combination though, definitely works. 

I repeated that with the second batch, using 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon re-hydrated Actiwhite (our local meringue powder brand). The original recipe called for 3 egg whites - which I'd say go ahead and use, if you don't have meringue powder. 

Strawberry and Nutella Meringues

Preheat the oven to 135'C
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper
Prepare a piping bag with a large plain round tip

Ingredients 
3 egg whites (or 2 egg whites + 1 tbs meringue powder dissolved in 30ml warm water)
150g caster sugar
30ml icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup Strawberry preserve

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer, on high speed, using the whisk attachment.
When the egg white starts to form soft peaks, slowly  add the sugar and icing sugar while continuing to beat.
Beat in the vanilla and vinegar.
Beat until meringue is glossy and stiff.

Prepare a piping bag with a large plain round tip. In the inside of the piping bag, paint stripes of Nutella and strawberry jam/ preserve. If the Nutella is too firm, soften it by heating gently.

Place the meringue into the piping bag, and pipe swirls onto parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 135'C for 30minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the meringues in the oven with the door closed for an hour.

Half the second batch I made was put into a container with the meringues nestled between parchment paper, and buried in the depths of my fridge.  A month later they're still good. Freezing them is also and option. Just make sure that the meringues don't come into contact with humidity, and they'll have a long shelf life. 

Happy baking!

xxM