These are the perfect addition to your dinner party or special occasion. Drizzles of vodka syrup takes them to a new level.
INGREDIENTS
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
250g caster sugar
1-2 tablespoons instant coffee powder 2 teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon white vinegar (optional) Fresh blueberries or other fruit, to serve Grated chocolate, for sprinkling
For the coffee vodka syrup
125ml espresso
100g dark soft brown sugar
2½ teaspoons arrowroot
3-4 tablespoons vodka
For the coffee liqueur cream
300ml extra thick double cream
50ml coffee liqueur
1 tablespoon instant coffee (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 120°C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they form soft, fluffy peaks.
Slowly add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until glossy. Grind the instant coffee to a finer powder using a pestle and mortar or the back of a spoon. Add the coffee to the meringue mixture gradually, along with the cornflour (and the vinegar, too, if you want to make the meringues fluffier) and keep beating until you cannot feel any sugar granules between your fingers. The mixture should look light brown and glossy.
Scoop the mixture onto the lined tray in 8 separate mounds and make an indent in the top of each. Bake for 1¼ hours, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool naturally inside. For the syrup, heat the coffee and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat until simmering. Mix the arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of the vodka until combined. Add this mixture to the coffee and heat until you see it thickening up. Take off the heat and set aside to cool. When the syrup has cooled, if it is too thick, add another 1-2 tablespoons of vodka to loosen the mixture. If it is not thick enough, mix another ½ teaspoon of arrowroot with a little more vodka, then add to the coffee syrup and heat again to thicken. To make the coffee liqueur cream, whisk the cream and instant coffee (if using) to soft peaks, then slowly fold in the coffee liqueur with a spatula.
When the meringues and syrup have cooled, dollop the coffee liqueur cream on the meringues, add some fruit and pour the vodka syrup over the top. Sprinkle with grated chocolate.
Recipes from Coffee Creations: 90 delicious recipes for the perfect cup by Celeste Wong.
Published by Mitchel Beazley
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE RYAN & JAKE GREEN
