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Ingredients
- You will also need:
- 5 egg whites, at room temperature
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- 1-1/4 cup (250 g) superfine (caster) sugar
- Drop of food gel colour of choice
- 2 baking sheets
- parchment paper
- 1 large (18-inch) pastry bag
- 1 large pastry tip of your choice
Details
Preparation
Step 1
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to lowest temperature (for my oven this is 175°F).
Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer and the whisk attachment with a lemon-juice-dampened paper towel to remove all traces of grease. Separate your eggs (best done when cold) and add the 5 egg whites into the bowl. If you get any yolk into the mixing bowl, remove all contents and begin again. Leave bowl on counter until they come to room temperature, or place bowl in sink filled with enough warm water to surround the egg whites for at least 15 minutes.
Once egg whites are room temperature (warm is best), place bowl back on mixer and fit with whisk attachment. Mix on low speed until egg whites become frothy, about 1 minute, and add cream of tartar.
Increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add all of the sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. You should be able to hold the bowl upside down over your head with no meringue falling out. Add gel colour and beat until combined.
Fit the pastry bag with the large tip (I used Ateco #887) and pipe 3-inch (apprx.) circle, working from the middle outwards, followed by three full rings atop one another around the perimeter of the nest. Pipe 7 nests per baking sheet, placing a few inches apart.
Bake both trays in oven until completely dry and crisp, but not browned, about 90 minutes (this can take much longer, depending on your environment). Nests should lift from parchment with ease. Turn off oven and leave nests inside until oven has cooled, then remove nests from oven.
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