Make our fun, rainbow-swirled meringues with the kids – especially if they're fans of the unicorn trend. They'll love decorating these cute little treats

• Preparation and cooking time
  • Prep:20 mins
  • Cook:1 hr and 20 mins
  • plus cooling in the oven
• Easy
• Makes 44

• Gluten-free
• Vegetarian

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• 4 food colouring gels or pastes (we used pink, yellow, blue and green)
• small amount of white and black ready-to-roll fondant icing for the eyes and mouth

You will also need

• 4cm round cutter or circle to drawn around
• 1 large piping bag fitted with a large open star nozzle (1cm)
• 4 small paintbrushes

Method

• STEP 1

  Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/gas ½. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Using a 4cm round cutter as a guide, draw 22 circles on each piece of parchment in pencil. Turn the parchment over.

• STEP 2

  Whip up the egg whites in a stand mixer or with an electric hand whisk until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar in, a spoonful at a time, whisking in completely between each addition. Repeat with the icing sugar until the mixture is glossy and stiff.

• STEP 3

  Put the piping bag nozzle down in a tall glass or jug. Roll down the top of the bag a little, over the rim, then paint a thin stripe of each coloured food gel from the nozzle all the way up to the top of the bag. Spoon in the meringue mixture.

• STEP 4

  Pipe swirls of meringue onto the trays using the circles as a guide. Bake for 20 mins then turn down to 100C/80C fan/gas ¼ and cook for a further hour, or until they are completely cooked through and sound hollow when tapped on the base. Leave to cool in the oven.

• STEP 5

  Mould small pieces of white and black fondant icing to create eyes and mouths. Stick these on the cooled meringues with a small dab of royal icing (if they don’t stick by themselves).