Suspiros (Meringue Kisses)
Meringues from five egg whites and icing sugar, piped and dried slowly in a very low oven. Just over an hour, almost all of it unattended. Makes about fifteen.
Servings: 15
Calories: 62kcal
Ingredients
- 5 egg whites at room temperature, with no trace of yolk
- 1¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Food coloring or baking dye
- Candy sprinkles for decoration as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 100°C (212°F) and line a tray with cupcake liners or parchment paper.
- Put the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl with the salt and whisk until they hold soft peaks: the mixture should stand up and then flop over at the tip.
- Keep whisking and add the powdered sugar a spoonful at a time, letting each one go in before adding the next, until the meringue is stiff, glossy and holds a peak that stays upright. Then whisk in the vanilla, and a few drops of food colouring if you are using it.
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag with a wide nozzle and pipe dollops onto the lined tray. Scatter sprinkles or sugar over them.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes depending on size. They are done when they lift cleanly off the paper and sound hollow underneath.
- Let them cool completely before moving them.
Notes
- The sugar goes in while the whisk is running, a spoonful at a time. Folding it in instead knocks the air out of the whites and the piped shapes spread flat on the tray.
- Everything has to be clean and dry. A trace of yolk, or grease left in the bowl, and the whites will not whip at all.
- Keep the oven at its lowest setting and do not open the door in the first 30 minutes. These are not baked so much as dried out, and a sudden draught of cold air cracks them.
- If they go sticky after a day, it is humidity. Keep them in a sealed tin, never in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 17mg | Sugar: 14g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg