People are always banging on about 'Cloud Nine' as if the ultimate state of euphoria is unattainable, otherworldly and reserved only for those with a wad load of cash, who can afford regular holidays to Bora Bora or to sip Pisco Sours at lunchtime, while the rest of us slog away at our laptops, looking up over-priced train tickets to Margate at the weekend.
But, what if we told you we had a more realistic, cheap, delicious, healthy and safe way (that doesn't involve taking hallucinogens) to reach blissful happiness?
Swap out Cloud Nine, for 'Cloud Egg'.
According to Grub Street, the 'cloud egg' is the latest Instagram food trend to be hitting our feeds and making us all demand fluffy, cumulonimbus-shaped eggs for brunch.
As Dean Martin would sing: 'How do you like your eggs in the morning?'
Well, Dean you can forget the kiss, and the boiled and fried eggs, because what we want is 'cloud eggs', and lots of 'em.
However, if you think achieving said cloud-inspired animal product dish must involve a shed loads of sugar and additives to create such a glorious, puffy formation, think again.
The dish reportedly has as little as 161 calories and is becoming a firm favorite among health fanatics as it requires no additional ingredients such as oil, milk or butter to make it taste even more delectable.
Here's how to make the magical brunch-time treat:
- Separate the yolk from the egg whites.
- Whisk the whites as if you were making meringues to form the fluffy formation. You can also fold in extras ingredients such as cheese, ham or lardons.
- Plop the whipped egg whites in a cloud shape on a baking tray, leaving a small crater in the middle where the yolk will go in later.
- Bake in a preheated oven at approximately 230°C (yup, it's hot) for five to eight minutes.
- Just before they're at peak cloud (we couldn't resist) drop the egg yolk in the middle of the cloud and return to the oven for three minutes before serving.
- A sprinkle of salt, pepper, parmesan and herbs and bada bing, bada boom, you've got yourself a 'cloud egg' with what appears to be the sun (yolk) shining through.
What more could you want?
Of course, some Instagram users are taking 'cloud eggs' to the next level, displaying the beauties on beds of avocado, toast, salads and kale but we wouldn't mind just gobbling one up on it's own.
Here comes the sun!
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
