Afternoon Tea- Peppermint Mini Meringues

Meringues are gaining in popularity at the moment so I thought it was only right to add a recipe for some Mini Meringues!

The recipe I've written here is for Peppermint and chocolate Meringues, however you can easily substitute the Peppermint Extract with Vanilla Extract if you want something a bit more neutral. Due to the size of these I think they're lovely for afternoon tea, and as the meringues themselves contain no fat, a slightly healthier alternative to that big slab of cake!

I think these are lovely as a dinner party desert- 
Simply serve next to a bowl of whipped cream for sticking together or dolloping on top, natural yoghurt, fresh fruit, a bowl of melted chocolate, sprinkles and anything else you fancy and let your guests create their own desert. It's a really fun way of serving dessert and a relaxed end to an evening. 

 Makes 30-35 small meringues (About 15 sandwiched together)



Ingredients-
100g egg white
200g caster sugar
1/4 tsp Peppermint extract
Dark chocolate- For dipping

Method-
1) Preheat your oven to 150C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. (A really good non stick tin should work if you don't have any greaseproof- I regularly run out!)
2) Beat the egg whites together on a slow speed for 1 minute until soft and foamy. (You'll need to use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer, your hand won't be able to beat quickly enough!)
3) Increase to medium speed until the meringue mixture reaches the firm peak stage- This is when the mixture can stand up on its own.
4) Add the Peppermint extract and start adding the sugar a table spoon at a time. Mixing the whole time until the mixture looks glossy and is stiff.
5) Transfer to a piping bag and pipe out small shapes onto the greaseproof paper.- I like to use a plain circular piping nozzle and pipe "drops" of the mixture.
6) Bake for 40 minutes, turn the oven off and let cool in the oven slightly for about 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
7) When the meringues have cooled, and dried out completely in the oven melt some dark chocolate in a bowl and dip the bottoms of each meringue in the chocolate, then place back on the tray to set.

Serving-
* Lightly whip some double cream and use it to sandwich two meringues together.
*For a healthier option- Serve with natural yoghurt and fresh fruit.

TIP-
You will get better results if you use a clean glass bowl to whisk your egg whites in. It's important that the equipment you use is completely free of grease as this can effect the egg whites.

Flavour Alternatives-
Vanilla Meringues- Swap the peppermint extract for vanilla extract.
Chocolate Meringues- Leave out the peppermint extract and sift 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder over the meringue mixture and carefully fold through.- I think these are particularly lovely when spooned onto your tray, when baked they look like lovely chocolatey clouds. (If spooning the mixture onto the trays, and making them larger they will take longer to cook. I would start at about 1 hour 15 minutes)