Mouth-Watering Mandarin Meringues

Method

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 300C.
• Step 2
  To make the meringue: Place egg whites into a bowl and beat until they start to foam. Slowly add the caster sugar and continue beating until it forms into a stiff meringue.

  

• Step 3
  Sift the icing sugar and almond meal into the meringue. Gently fold the almonds and icing sugar and mandarin zest into the egg whites until evenly combined.
• Step 4
  Get tray and line with baking paper. Spoon small amounts of meringue batter onto the baking paper. If you want the meringues to look less rustic pipe the mixture to form uniform rounds. Bake the meringues for 10-15 minutes. The correct cooking time will depend on your oven.Remove the meringues from the oven, and let them cool before you remove them from the baking paper. The meringues should be crispy on the outside and with a soft centre. If the meringues have turned out crisp all the way through, you have baked them too much. Next time, reduce the cooking time, and you will get perfect meringues!
• Step 5
  To make the meringue curd: Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan, except for the butter. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens, constantly stirring. Remove the saucepan from the heat, allow to cool a bit, and then stir in the butter. Whisk well.
• Step 6
  When the curd has thickened (after some time in the fridge), use a teaspoon, a knife or a piping bag, whichever you prefer and spread onto one side of the meringue and top with another meringue so that the curd is sandwiched between the two.
• Step 7
  To make the candied mandarin peel: Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves. Add thinly sliced mandarin peel (remove as much pith as possible). Boil until peel becomes tender (approx 20 min). Transfer to grease proof paper and while still pliable and cooler to touch place on top of the sandwiched meringues.
• Step 8
  Serve.