cream of tartar
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp pink food coloring gel (you can use pink or red food coloring)
1 tbs strawberry flavoured topping
For chocolate ganache:
2/3 cup thickened cream
150g Plaistowe dark cooking chocolate, chopped (you can also use dark chocolate melts)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. To make the ganache, place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the cream over chocolate. Stir until smooth. Place in the fridge until thick and spreadable.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla until stiff peaks forms. Add sugar, strawberry topping and food coloring. Beat until sugar dissolves. Mixture should be stiff and glossy.
4. Use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe 24 (5cm-6cm) rosettes, about 3cm apart on the prepared trays. Turn oven temperature to 120 degrees Celsius. Bake meringue for 1 hour or until firm and dry to touch. Turn off oven and leave the meringues to cool with the oven door ajar for 1 hour.
5. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of ganache over the back sides of half of the meringues. Sandwich the remaining meringue rosettes on top.