Citrus Meringues

Ingredients:

Meringue:
8 egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
2 cups caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon dayap juice
1 ½ teaspoon calamansi juice
3 drops green food coloring
3 drops yellow food coloring

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar

Assembly:
1 tablespoon cashew nuts, finely chopped
1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon puffed rice crisps

Procedure:

Meringue:
1. Preheat oven to 100 degrees C.
2. In a big mixing bowl, add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk with a hand mixer on low speed until foamy.
3. Gradually add sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, until melted and well-incorporated.
4. Increase whisking speed to high, maximum of about 5 minutes, until stiff and glossy peaks form. Divide the meringue base equally into 3 bowls.
5. With a spatula, gently fold in 2 drops yellow food color and lemon juice in bowl 1. Carefully transfer into a piping bag.
6. With a spatula, gently fold in 2 drops green food color and dayap juice in bowl 2. Carefully transfer into a piping bag.
7. With a spatula, gently fold in 1 drop yellow and 1 drop green food color and calamansi juice in bowl 3. Carefully transfer into a piping bag.
8. In a baking tray lined with baking parchment, carefully pipe small meringue cookies approximately 1 inch in diameter.
9. Lower the oven heat to 90 degrees C and bake the meringues for 2 1/2 hours. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven until cooled, about another hour. Transfer to containers with seals.

Simple Syrup:
1. In a sauce pot, combine water and sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid turns syrupy. Let it cool.

Assembly:
1. Dip cooled meringues top-down in simple syrup. Sprinkle chopped cashews, dessicated coconut, and puffed rice crisps as preferred. Enjoy!