These meringues have just the right level of chewiness and a subtle hint of blueberry flavour. I served them like mini pavlovas topped with whipped sweetened cream and fruit, but they’re also delicious on their own.

Ingredients (makes 12 large meringues)
35g blueberries
1 tablespoon water
4 egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup caster sugar

Method
To make the blueberry compote, heat the blueberries and water in a small saucepan over a medium heat until broken down and soft. Blitz with a stick blender until you have a smooth consistency.

Preheat oven to 120°C. Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or electric hand beaters to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and then the sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking until dissolved before adding the next spoonful (test this by rubbing a little of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger).

Use a dessert spoon to spoon the mixture onto the prepared trays (approximately 2 dessert spoons’ worth of mixture per meringue). Shape into circles of the desired size. Spoon approximately 1½ teaspoons’ worth of blueberry mixture onto each meringue and use a skewer to swirl it through the meringue mixture.

Place the meringues into the oven and reduce the temperature to 90°C. Leave the oven on for 1 hour or until the meringues are crisp and sound hollow when tapped on the base. Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool gradually in the oven (approximately 2-3 hours). Don’t worry if they collapse a little bit – that’s what a generous covering of cream and fruit is for!

Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au ‘Basic Meringues’ and Donna Hay’s ‘No Fail Meringue Mixture’.
Feel free to omit the blueberry if desired.