Decadently decorated chocolate meringues

I'm trying to overcome my fear of meringues. I can't seem to ever get them to the perfect balance: I panic they'll be too chewy and soft and end up making them too crisp, or I worry they're crisping up too quickly and they end up squidgy and with no protective outer shell. If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again. The Meringue Girls cookbook is helping: everything inside it is so beautiful, I want to make it all, and can spend far too much time sitting, admiring, oohing and aahing at each and every photo.

I had a tough time choosing what to cook for a visiting T. Eventually I settled on this pile of heaven. Chocolate meringue (which was this time slightly too crisp - time to try again...), dollops of mascarpone and swirls of salted caramel, sweetly poached pears, toasted walnut pieces and melted chocolate, all built up in the Jackson Pollock approached demanded by the gorgeous Meringue Girls. 

Do I need to tell you it was fabulous? Probably not. It was. I cannot wait for the leftovers this evening.

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Chocolate Meringues

I haven't baked enough recently. Numerous excuses have come my way: too much work, too tired, other things I should be doing, don't feel very well, still not unpacked, should be trying to be healthy... And there's been plenty of Christmas sweet treats lying around to nibble on after supper.

So after a day of working at home, and therefore an extra 20 minutes of time gained at the end of day,  and an episode of charity bake off to watch, I had to bake. No more excuses. And with my new swanky kitchen aid, it wasn't the hard work that it used to be (the neighbours may disagree). So after a delicious tribute to healthy January with a roast squash, rocket and mozzarella salad, we finished with baby chocolate meringues, dollops of crème fraîche, and some freshly defrosted summer berries. Just what the doctor ordered. No more pretence of a January detox for me.

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