Friday Food: Lilly's Amazing Swan Meringue

Here’s a fun recipe from Lilly Higgins’ that you can try with kids over the weekend.

Swans always look like they’re made out of meringue, floating majestically. I made small individual swans for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day, and let me tell you, nothing impresses a boy more than shaped sugar birds. Be careful assembling the swan and take your time at every stage in case you break something. It does stay put for a few hours, but it’s safest to assemble at the last minute.

SERVES 12–15

6 egg whites
375g icing sugar, sieved
400ml cream
blueberries or strawberries, to decorate

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper. Draw a neck, 2 wings and a base for the swan onto the parchment paper. Flip over the paper so you don’t get pencil marks on the meringue.

2 Whisk the egg whites and icing sugar until the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Fill a piping bag fitted with a plain medium-sized nozzle. Carefully pipe the neck, head and wings following the template on the parchment paper. You can use a spoon to spread the meringue onto the main body template.

3 Bake in the oven for 45–60 minutes, until the meringue lifts off the paper easily. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven to cool fully with the oven door ajar.

4 Once fully cooled and just before serving, whip the cream. Cover most of the base with whipped cream. Stick the wings and neck in place and cover the cream with berries.