Meringue

This Easter we had lovely weather. Sunny and warm. I have been walking the beach several times. One early morning I found these treasures. They instantly reminded me of meringue and I decided to share my meringue recipe with you.

The first one I wanted to pick up crushed when I grabbed it. They are so fragile and beautiful. I picked a lot of them and tried not to crush them in my pocket. An english gentleman that walked his dogs gave me a plastic container to keep my fragile skeletons. It felt like Easter egg hunting.

I later found out that the skeletons came from a kind of sea urchin called sea potato. Funny name. Love that they are so fragile and their shape. They have got a neat pattern. Beautifully feminin just like meringue.

When I got home and had washed them, trying not to break them all, I could not resist to colour some of them with food colouring. They look just like Easter candy and it is easier to see the pattern.

To make meringue you need:

4 egg whites
1 small pinch of salt
250g (9 oz) sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch flour
1 teaspoon vinegar
Pink food coloring

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Beat the egg whites and the salt stiff.
Add the sugar little by little.
When the mixture is smooth, add vinegar and cornstarch flour.
Add a few drops of food coloring and stir it.
Place baking paper on a tray and sprinkle powdered sugar on it.
Use a spoon or a syringe bag to create small peaks of meringue.
Place meringue in the middle of the oven and turn the heat down to 120 degrees celcius.
Bake for about 20 minutes.