speckled chocolate egg meringues

• roughly break the candy-coated easter chocolate eggs (or m&m’s, with or without peanuts) with a hammer or a large spoon and set aside
• preheat the oven to 200°C
• spread the super-fine sugar on a rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper and heat the sugar in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the edges just start melting

note : super-fine sugar is not icing sugar, it is regular sugar but finer, if using regular sugar, simply place it in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute until finer

note : by adding heated sugar, the meringue shell will be crispy and the inside will be creamier and less brittle, when heating the sugar, avoid browning the sugar edges (as I did the first time and as can be seen in the photo) the sugar is hot enough when the edges just begin to melt

• in a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites at medium-high spped, with a few drops of white vinegar and a pinch of salt for several minutes until firm and peaks form
• carefully remove the heated sugar from the oven
• lower the oven heat to 100°C
• slowly add the hot sugar and keep whisking the egg whites at med-high speed for 7-8 minutes until perfectly smooth and firm and shiny
• add 2/3 to 3/4 (approximately 100-115 grams) of the  broken candy-coated easter eggs and the cocoa powder (optional) and mix in gently by hand with a wooden or silicone spatula, add some cocoa powder (optional)

note : the oven-baking and the chocolate in the broken chocolate eggs will slightly darken the meringues, for an even darker colour, add some cocoa powder

• place 6 very large ladles of meringue (try to add a swirl or peak on top) onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet
• sprinkle with the remaining 1/4  to 1/3 (or 35-50 grams) broken candy-coated chocolate eggs
• bake for 2 hours at 100°C and then turn off the oven and let cool inside the oven for 1 additional hour.