Blackberry 'blood' and meringue bones

1 Preheat the oven to 120°C, gas mark 1⁄2. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Mix together the 100g caster and the vanilla sugar. Beat the egg whites in a large, clean bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually whisk in the sugar mixture, a tablespoonful at a time, whisking well between each addition. The meringue should look thick and glossy.

2 Spoon into a Cooks’ Homebaking Piping Bag and cut off a large tip so the meringue can be piped in a 2cm-thick line. Pipe a 7cm length onto the parchment, and pipe 2 extra blobs close together at each end to resemble a bone shape. Repeat with the remaining mixture, spacing them slightly apart. Bake for about 50–60 minutes, until the meringues feel crisp and dry.

3 Blend the blackberries with the remaining sugar until smooth then press through a sieve into a bowl. Pile the meringues onto
a serving plate and drizzle with a little of the blackberry purée. Serve the remainder in a small bowl for dipping.