How to Make Meringue Nests

Ingredients:

* 3 Egg Whites

* 180g Caster Sugar

* 1tbsp Vanilla Extract

* Food Colours

* Cookies & Cream Biscuits x 5

* Chocolate Mini Eggs

* Filling - Whipped Cream/Crème Fraiche/Fruit Card

You Will Need:

* Baking Paper

* A Black Pen

* Round Cutter

* A Whisk

* Piping Tip and Bag Set

* A Rolling Pin

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and use a 7-8cm round cutter as a guide to draw 8-10 circles on the paper.

Preheat the oven to 90°C fan/190°F.

To begin, whisk the egg whites using a stand mixer or an electric whisk until they double in volume. Keep the whisk running, and add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, ensuring the sugar is fully incorporated before adding the next spoonful.

Keep whisking until all the sugar is added and the mixture is thick and glossy.

Mix in the vanilla extract.

Scoop the meringue into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle. Pipe a dot in the centre of your circle template, then pipe a concentric circle.

Continue piping in a single motion to build on the edges to create each of your meringue nests.

Bake the nests for 1.5 hours.

Once baked, turn the oven off and leave them to cool with the door shut.

Fill the nests with your choice of filling – freshly whipped cream or crème fraiche, with the addition of a teaspoon of lemon curd is delicious!

Split the chocolate cookies and discard the filling. Break the cookies into crumbs using the end of a rolling pin and crumble over the meringue nests.

Finally, add chocolate mini eggs to the nests.