Saffron Meringue with Orange and Cream Cheese Filling

Mix the saffron with the sugar. Beat the 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. As soon as the egg white solidifies, add half of the saffron sugar. When the mixture is already very firm, mix the whole thing with the rest of the saffron sugar and keep beating until the egg whites are shiny.

Pour the mixture into a freezer bag (chill the rest). Just cut off a point and spray circles about 8 cm in diameter through this opening onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Smooth the surfaces a little with a spatula. Then spray a border on each circle. Let the meringues dry in a warm oven at 90 degrees for about three hours. After cooling, place in a plastic jar to protect the meringues from moisture.

For the filling, wash and dry the orange with hot water and finely rub 2 teaspoons of the peel. Now peel the orange with the knife so that the white skin is completely removed. Cut the orange fillets out of the separating skins and catch the juice that escapes. Rinse and pat dry the thyme, then wipe off the leaves. Leave a few leaves whole, finely chop the rest.

Mix the cream cheese with the syrup, the collected orange juice and the orange liqueur until smooth. Then mix in the orange peel and chopped thyme.

Fill the meringues with 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture. Serve with the orange fillets and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Garnish with dried rose petals and a sprig of lemon thyme.