Lemon Myrtle & Macadamia Nut Meringue Twists

Recipe and images provided by Lisa Hooper of Mybella Meringues

Ingredients:

150 gms of egg white

300 gms of caster sugar

Squeeze lemon juice

1TBS lemon myrtle powder

Crushed Macadamia nuts

Petitie Ingredient Marigold petals. 

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, 
• Separate and measure out 150gms of egg white into a stainless steel or glass bowl. **Ensure the bowl and whisk attachment are clean of grease or dish detergent. 
• Use a squeeze of lemon and paper towel to clean the equipment prior to pouring the egg white. 
• Pour sugar onto a tray lined with baking paper and pop in the hot oven for roughly 6-7 minutes. Towards the end the edges may start to melt, you will need to take it out. Now turn oven back to 100 degrees C. 
• As soon as you start heating the sugar, slowly start the mixer on the lowest setting. I go up one setting at a time, each for 1 minute until the eggs whites are at stiff peaks. 
• When done and with the machine setting on high, gently add the hot sugar roughly 1 heaped dessert spoon at at time.  Let the mixture stay bold and fluffy, if you find it has deflated a bit and looks a bit runnier, let it whisk and build back up before adding more sugar. 
• When all sugar is added, scrape the sides and let it whisk on high for another 5 or so minutes until it is nice and thick, the sugar is dissolved and back at stiff peaks. 
• Use a large piping bag and any nozzle you fancy. We use Wiltons 2D for the twists. Use a large clean spatula to transfer the the mixture to the piping bag. With a circular motion and squeezing gently from the top of the bag, pipe out the twists. Make sure you use a non stick baking paper and room in between each one as they will expand slightly in the oven. 
• Sprinkle chopped macadamia nuts and marigold petals onto the meringue twists. 
• Put into the oven for 120 minutes. When done they will lift from the baking paper easily. 
• Pop a wooden spoon to keep the oven door ajar to let the heat out slowly and let them cool. 
• Keep in an airtight container or freeze. 

You can use a variety of ingredients, but many take trial and error to work out which ones will be ok in the mixture and which ones will collapse.