Pastel Meringues

Method

1 Line three baking trays with baking parchment. Preheat oven to 130°C (110°C fan) mark 1⁄2.

2 Put egg whites in the clean, grease-free bowl of a freestanding mixer; whisk until stiff. Add icing sugar 1tbsp at a time, whisking well between additions for a stiff, shiny meringue. The mixture shouldn't move around in the bowl. Whisk in vanilla extract.

3 Divide the mixture into two. Add 1-2 drops of red food colouring (one drop at a time) to one bowl to make a pale pink; add 2-3 drops to the other bowl for a darker pink. Mix well.

4 For oval shapes, take two dessertspoons. Take a spoon of mixture and use the other spoon to scrape the meringue away from you on to the parchment. For hearts, fit a piping bag with a 1cm (1⁄2in) plain nozzle and pipe heart-shapes on to the parchment.

5 Bake for 1hr, turn off the heat and leave in the oven for 1-11⁄2hr to dry out. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.