Beet Meringues with Blue Cheese Cream

Ingredients

Beetroot Meringues

• 2
  
  egg whites
  
• 1
  
  cup powdered sugar
  
• 4
  
  raw beets
  

Blue Cheese Cream

• 1/2
  
  cup blue cheese
  
• 5
  
  tablespoons cream
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon chopped chives
  

Directions

1. Scrub and peel the beets.
2. Boil for 30-60 minutes until cooked through (a fork should easily pierce the beet).
3. Remove from liquid and cook the liquid down for another 45-60 minutes until it is reduced, thick and dark purple-red.
4. To make the meringues, put the sugar and egg whites in a mixing bowl together and whisk with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (about 5-8 minutes).
5. Add as much of the beetroot syrup as required to get a dark rich purple-red colour in the meringue.
6. Use a teaspoon to spoon onto a baking tray lined with grease proof paper.
7. Each meringue should be a couple of centimetres in diametre (you don’t need to pipe, the mixture will be stiff enough to shape with a spoon).
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 320F until crisp on the outside but not golden and cooked on the inside (insert a skewer into one to check).
9. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
10. To make the blue cheese cream, mash the cheese and cream in a bowl until it is soft with the consistency of cream cheese.
11. The amount of cream will depend on the cheese, which should be kept out of the fridge for an hour before to soften.
12. Add the chopped chives.
13. Sandwich two meringues between a teaspoon of the blue cheese cream and repeat until all the meringues are made.