Microwave merringues

hobbesy_2

I was reading through the threads here with a meringue and cup of tea (as you do) and through the letterbox popped the tesco christmas mailing. I had the sudden inspiration that the meringue I was scoffing should be shared with you all as its so easy to make and would perhaps be perfect to use as a little gift, or even better as part of your christmastime pudding collection (Eton Mess anyone?)

I cannot bake (much to my husband's dismay) and I find these super easy. I'm pretty sure it was Phil Vickery I originally saw do it, but only have my scribbles to go by-

You need:

One egg white
Icing sugar (approx 300g but poss more)
greaseproof paper or clingfilm

Basically put the egg white in a bowl and add the icing sugar til you have a very thick pliable icing consistency that you can mould. (hence this can easily take more than 300g depending on the size of the egg)

Break off a piece and mould into a small ball (golf/squash ball size?) and place on a piece of greaseproof paper and into the microwave. I microwave on full power for approx 1minute, but this depends on your microwave. Some say they need 1m15, others have said they've had a meringue on fire at 40 seconds!! Watch the meringue rise. If it doesn't go down in size when you open the door, and the centre hasn't started to go brown, you've got it just right.

I put 'or clingfilm' as I've read others say they cover the microwave plate with clingfilm and cook it that way. I just prefer the greaseproof method as I can take out the first meringue and peel it off onto a cooling tray while the next one is already cooking.

You'll find these meringues very light. They don't have the chewy centre of oven cooked ones and have a slightly more crumbly texture, so it depends on what you want to do with the things. As I said to be crushed into a pudding they are perfect, and with a cup of tea they're good too :-) I did make one the size of a large plate once just for fun and it held its shape perfectly and would have been great as top to some cream, fruit, pudding creation, but my three year old daughter thought it would be better to round round the house with pretending to be attacked by a giant meringue (with biting it being the only way to escape of course!)

Enjoy!