Meringue Devils

Rub the inside of your mixing bowl with a little salt and a few drops of lemon juice — this helps the whites whip up properly. Add the egg whites and a third of the sugar, then whip on medium-high speed. Add the rest of the sugar gradually as you go.

Once the meringue is stiff and glossy, scoop out a quarter of it into a small bowl. Stir the red food colouring into the large bowl of meringue, and the black food colouring into the small bowl. For best results, use a paste or thick gel colour so the meringue stays stiff after colouring.

Transfer the meringues into two piping bags — the red into one with a medium round tip (no. 7.5), the black into one with a small round tip (no. 4.5). Pipe devil shapes onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Start with the red, then pipe two little horns on each one using the black.

Put the tray in the oven at 60–70 °C for about 2 hours until the meringues are fully dried out.