Mini Meringue Bites in a Jar - The Recipe for a Perfect Treat (2024)

Mini Meringue Bites which are colourful, light and crisp. Pop them in a jar for the perfect foodie gift or party meringue treat.

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Mini meringue bites and memories of childhood

These mini meringue bites transport me back to childhood and remind me that I have always adored meringue. The crisp whiteness… The sweet melt-in-the-mouth experience of loveliness. Eating meringue reminds me of my father. A precious memory, since I lost him to cancer when I was just 18.

Each summer when I was a kid, we would visit a town in Oxfordshire called Wallingford. Whilst there, me and Dad would visit a small café. Just the two of us. It was always a treat for me… Spending simple father-daughter time having tea and cake.

At the café, they served the loveliest, crispest meringues dipped in chocolate. The first time I ate one, I accidentally breathed out after taking a bite and almost disappeared in white dust. We laughed and laughed, me and my dad… After that, each time we went to the cafe, I would try to replicate the hilarity and closeness of the experience. It’s a memory that is cherished.

Making mini meringue bites & a lesson in concentration

After the success in makingPink Pavlovausing theMeringue Girlsmethod, I decided to try my hand at little meringues. I confess however that they are not quite as intended. They were meant to be ‘kisses’, but failed to get ‘pointy’ tops, so they became mini meringue bites instead.

They are also a lesson in slowing down and concentrating… Properly! Not doing so creates more work and too many mess-ups… It’s not good to have to do everything twice… Or in the case of these meringues, three times.

Having carefully learnt thelessonson how to make perfect meringue, I managed to break not one, but two cardinal rules. For mini meringue batch 1, I forgot to wipe the bowl with lemon juice before whisking. A likely trace of residual grease resulted in the meringues being a literal and complete ‘flop’.

On the second attempt, I opened the oven door without thinking to ‘check’ progress. Another disastrous lack of concentration! The rush of cold air into the oven resulted in cracks across the meringue tops, the like of which should only be seen in the worst of earthquakes.

By the third attempt, a lack of pointy tops seemed an insignificant worry. But to be honest, the taste and flavour more than made up for their shapelessness.

Little meringues with a hint of caramel

To add a little extra interest, these mini meringue bites have a hint of caramel about them. Infused with natural caramel extract before piping, they initially confuse the taste buds which send muddled messages to the brain about flavour vs expectation.

When adding any colour or flavour to meringue however, it is important to take care. Additions should not be so liquid that they upset the consistency of the mix… And shouldn’t be so oily that they frustrate it into deflation. Strongly flavoured pastes, powders and drops are the way to go. And these little meringues have the balance about right… Crisp and light and perfectly powdery, with flavour that intrigues the palate.

How to colour mini meringue bites

For the prettiest of meringue bites, you want a striped effect. It’s not difficult but will involve painting the piping bag with food colouring paste. I call it the ‘paint and pipe’ method… Follow these steps :

1. Turn the piping bag inside out, leaving about an inch or so at the bottom to grab and turn back again later.
2. Using a pastry brush, paint stripes of food colour onto the bag from top to bottom (to about half way up), so that when you turn the bag back, the colour will be on the inside.
3. Turn the bag back and fill with white meringue.
4. Squeeze out the air, trim the end off and pipe.

How to eat mini meringue bites

Mini meringue bites are small enough to pop in the mouth whole and either let melt or crunch into oblivion. If you prefer a little extra decadence however, sandwich them together with a little whipped cream for perfect party meringue treats. You simply cannot beat the combination of sweet meringue with sumptuous cream.

You could also use whole or crushed meringues to make Eton Mess or deconstructed pavlova. And I can definitely vouch for their divine marriage with a scoop of ice cream, a bowl of fruit or the heaven that is eating them dipped in melted chocolate.

Mini meringue bites are most definitely made for sharing… they are so delightfully pretty. Pop them in a jar and tie a bow round the top for the most tempting of foodie gifts.

I could become seriously addicted… Little meringues may just be my new obsession! Maybe they’ll be yours too… Let me know if you make them!

Essential equipment for making meringue

Getting perfect meringue requires a few basics in the kitchen :

• A good stand mixer makes a huge difference. Meringue needs a lot of whisking. There are plenty of stand-mixer options out there for every budget. But I have aKitchen Aidstand mixer which I love.
• A good spoon/spatula is needed to scrape the meringue mixture from the bowl. I use a flexibleZing Silicone Spoon-spatula, which is one of my favourite kitchen tools.
• The right baking paper is important. It needs to be high quality and perfectly non-stick. I recommend Lakeland Baking Paperevery time.
• To pipe your mini meringue bites, you’ll need piping bags. Given you are likely to be using more than one colour and you need the bag completely free of grease, I suggest using disposable bags. For ease of use and non-slippiness, theLakeland Get-a-Grip Piping and Icing Bags and fantastic.
• To colour your little meringues, you need food colour… Preferably the non-watery type. I use the foodcolouring paste from Wilton.

Other recipes using meringue on Gluten Free Alchemist

• Zesty Lemon Meringue Roulade
• Raspberry Meringue Pie
• Pink Pavlova
• Cake with Eton Mess Cream
• Blackcurrant Meringue Pie

For all other yummy gluten free recipes on Gluten Free Alchemist, why not head over to our Recipe Book Index… and feel free to drool.

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