Lilac and Lavender

Ah meringues, such a sweet, sweet classic, always enjoyed with strawberries and cream, a summertime favourite, enjoyed by Etonians in a mess and er, people that went to polytechnics too, consisting of only beaten egg whites and sugar, how simple.... 

But wait a sec, lavender flavoured? And sorry, they're lilac? 

"Ooh ar. Not for me thanks. Bit modern that is" I hear you say as you back away from me slowly like i've age reversed a couple of years and started to experiment with interesting scented herbs and food again in some early quater life crisis (anniversairy of my birth is infact looming).


Fear not! Im not trying to heal anyone herbally or cure insomnia, i made these simply because:

1.    I’ve never attempted meringues before and felt this bbq weather was the perfect excuse to try for a classic summer pud.

2.    Purple is my bestest colour.

3.    The lavender sugar was reduced in sainsbos (hard times remember guyz)

4.    The big misshapen pastel coloured stacks of meringues in Borough market always look fabulous and I wanted to ‘ave a go myself creating these sugary clouds of happiness

5.    Lily, lavender and lilac are a good alliteration and MAN do I love me one of those.


Observe the prettiness i then created.

The recipe is adapted from Lily Vanillis basic plain meringue recipe. I deducted 10 grams of plain sugar and added the infused lavender one instead to make up the 280g.

It’s incredibly easy to follow and I (for once) didn't have one single panic moment in the kitchen. Mostly, because i took my time and didn't cut any corners- chemistry was never a strong subject for me at school, i spent more time listening to my chemical romance with my friend Lucy and waving at Rachel if she walked past the science block than i did paying attention- however- as cooking is in itself a science, i had to pay lots and lots and lots of attention to everything i did from temperatures to timings and could not sing along to my spotify playlist (badly) and drink cups of tea as is my usual baking routine! 

I will happily admit i will gloss over long instructions to do with anything and seem to think i'm always right (haa i hear you ALL say) but i'd heard many a disastrous meringue story (mostly on come dine with me) and knew for once, i had to be patient and good and did what the instructions told me in fear of messing with some big bad baking sciencey rules.


And voila perfect, pretty, homemade sugary mountains of marshmellowy yet crunchy moreish meringues were created!

Tips:

-I was vigilant with my whipping speeds (start v v slow only allowing small bubbles in first), egg white tempreture (room, always!) and sugar adding (not all at once!).

-Let all your crazy lady tendacies out at once by cleaning all your equipment within an inch of its life to remove all grease and/or rub a lemon around your mixing bowl (i did both, cause hello, crazy lady!).

-I made one batch (about 8 large) freehand with a metal spoon and piped small neat ones with the leftover mixture (freehand ones turned out to be my fave!).

-Fan oven setting is allowed unlike when baking cakes! Hurrah!! Swirly heat!

-Always always leave for an hour or more in the oven once it is switched off so they set just right.

-However it still infused through the meringue making the soft pillowy inside a lovely colour of lilac.

-The lavender flavouring, although it does seem peculiar and bubble bath like to be putting into food, was a sweet success, i added just the right amount so that it wasn't too over powering, and so it leaves a very faint added sweetness to the meringue, a very soft floral lift if you will, without tasting like soap or something you found in the flower bed! 

-I almost like to think the lavender adds a cutesy old fashioned spin on this classic, perfect for afternoon tea with strong cups of earl grey, it would work well with macaroons and cute purple cupcakes too, so i can't wait to experiment with infused sugar more now i know its not too overpowering or odd in food. 




Try to enjoy with strawberries and whipped cream. If they last that long. They're very moreish and most sweet and light. They melt in your mouth like candyfloss. I scoffed half the glossy mix before it was even cooked. I was in some bizarre lavender  infused calm world whilst bouncing of the walls on sugar at the same time for the rest of the afternoon. I highly recommend.


Holly x


P.s HOW cute is my pink egg box that my mums friend gave us with fresh eggs from her chickens?

Lily Vanilli's Basic Meringues

Here is a rough guide to Lily Vanilli's basic meringue recipe. Her book is filled with such interesting and imaganative creations that i was apprehensive at first to attempt her recipe rather than sticking with an old school recipe, but she explains it so well and breaks it down into easy steps- as well as explaining all the science behind it which really helped and made me pay extra attention to what i was doing- although get back to me once i've attempted her 3 tier bitter chocolate orange cake, i have a feeling the impressive photography of this cake matches the complex recipe *faints*.

6 large egg whites- at room tempreature

1 tsp lemon juice

280g caster sugar

(i used 270g plain caster sugar and 10g sainsbury's taste the difference lavender infused sugar)

One baking tray, lined. 

1. Preheat the oven to 120 degrees fan assisted/gas mark 1.

-Prepare a baking tray with non stick baking parchment- stick down with some of the meringue mix to stop it folding up in the oven!-

2. In a bowl with an electric whisk whip egg whites- very slowly- you only want small bubbles to get in at first- once they start to foam slightly and look less liquid add the lemon juice and continue whisking until soft peaks form (still very light and airy but starting to hold shape)- approx 5 minutes 

3. Now you can slowly beat in the sugar- 2 tablespoons at a time- and continue to increase the speed until stiff peaks form

-The mixture should stick up when you move the whisk away, if it flops back down (don't be crude now) then whisk further.

4. Do the upside down bowl test- i dare ya.

-This is when i add the food coloring and fold it in very, very carefully, i found turning the whisk round once with the coloring helped create the lovely swirled effect. 

5. Use a metal spoon to dollop the beaten whites onto the prepared baking tray, or pipe, up to you, spooning by hand makes them look very big and messy in a good way!

-Do this straight away and don't leave the mixture to sink or knock it about to much- it won't make big fluffy meringues! 

6. Bake for 1 hour until set- they will have a still soft but crisp shell formed.

7. Turn off the oven and leave to dry for another hour.

Tips:

-Grease or oil, as well as plastic, can damage the whites from forming.

-Lemon juice round a clean bowl will help remove any dirt or grease.

-Keep the oven temperature low- or you will end up with burnt peaks!

-Create small bubbles on a low speed first. You don't want big pockets of air.

-Only increase the speed as you are adding the sugar to create your stiff peaks.

From Lily Vanilli's book Sweet Tooth