These traditional meringues kisses are finished with a touch of Nutella and a cheeky dash of tequila!

Yield: 16 kisses
 Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes

Gluten Free Meringue Kisses with Nutella and Tequila Cream

This is one of those recipes that's absolutely beautiful and looks quite difficult to execute but it's not. The meringue are easy to make and their brilliance lies in the execution--nothing a piping bag can't help you pull off. The cream has a lovely punch of tequila and is entirely optional. You can go slightly over-the-top and use loads of your favourite tequila or you could just use a bit and let the flavour subtly shine through.

This dish was created with Cinco de Mayo in mind and I love that it's a great blend of cultures with a little bit of Mexican flavouring. One of the things that really makes it unique is how versatile it is, too. Once you've mastered making a meringue, you'll be able to make this dessert with no trouble at all. And even if you've never made a meringue before, it's not too difficult to do.

Ingredients:

For the meringue kisses
3 eggs
175 grams caster sugar
Nutella
 
For the tequila cream
2 tablespoons icing/powdered sugar
280 milliliters double or whipping cream
tequila

Tequila Cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 140c/275f.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the whites, reserving the whites in a bowl.
3. Whisk the whites with an electric whisk until they start to foam.
4. Slowly add the sugar to the egg whites and beat until glossy and stiff peaks have formed.
5. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag with a star nozzle fitted.
6. Pipe little dollops onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake in the oven for an hour. 
8. Make the tequila cream while the meringues cook by whisking the cream with the sugar and a bit of the tequila.
9. Spoon into a piping bag with a star nozzle fitted and refrigerate until needed.
10. Make up the meringues by matching two that are relatively the same size. Spread on a bit of the Nutella onto the bottoms of each meringue.
11. Pipe some cream onto one of the meringues and sandwich close with the other.
12. Store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.