Rainbow Meringues

Line a roasting tray with baking paper and warm the sugar for 5 minutes in an oven set at 200°C (180°C fan)

 

Meanwhile, add 5 egg whites to a clean (grease-free) bowl and begin to whisk on a slow speed until small bubbles appear. At this stage increase the mixing speed until your egg whites reach a stiff peaks and the bowl can be turned upside down without the eggs moving.

Remove the sugar from the oven and whilst mixing the egg whites on a high speed add the vanilla extract and the sugar, a heaped spoon at a time. Continue to whisk for 5-7 minutes until the mixture becomes glossy and when rubbed between two fingers does not feel gritty.

Prepare several baking trays lined with baking paper. Place a blob of meringue in the corner of each baking tray before laying the paper on top in order for the paper to be held in place. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)

To colour your meringues, turn a piping bag inside out and gently brush vertical strips of food colouring along the inside of the bag. Repeat this for each colour in separate piping bags. A good tip is to place the piping bag in a tall glass or jug and fold back the bag to paint, to avoid messy hands.

Fill each piping bag with meringue mixture and snip the tip of the bag off (about 1cm from the end) to pipe your meringue kisses. Pipe the meringues leaving a small gap between each one.

Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, then once baked turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool and dry out for 2-3 hours or if possible overnight. Meringues can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.