Decorative Centerpieces Port Wine Meringues With Swirls Bouquet Recipes

CAPPUCCINO SWIRL MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag with a star tip.
• Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 more minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff shiny peaks form. Beat in 3/4 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer half of the meringue to a separate bowl; beat the espresso powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla into the remaining meringue.
• Holding the pastry bag in your hand, use a rubber spatula to spread the plain meringue on one side of the bag, filling the bag only half full. Turn the bag around and spread the coffee meringue on the other half of the bag. Twist the end of the bag so the 2 colors squish together. Pipe 1 1/2-inch meringues on the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Decorate with sprinkles.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are firm, about 2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside until dry and crisp, about 1 more hour.

POMEGRANATE MERINGUE SWIRLS

Steps:

• Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven; preheat to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the pomegranate molasses and food coloring in a small bowl.
• Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 more minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 3 more minutes.
• Drizzle or brush the pomegranate mixture in a thick line along the inside of a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Carefully fill the bag with the meringue. Pipe about 12 swirls of meringue on each baking sheet. (The meringue may be slightly pink at the end of the bag.) Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are crisp and dry, about 3 hours. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.

MERINGUE SWIRLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until frothy (use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer). Add the cream of tartar; increase the speed to medium high and add the superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the meringue (or add the extract) and continue beating until the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is thick, glossy and forms stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
• Fit a piping bag with a large star tip. Fill the bag with the meringue and pipe spirals on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
• Bake 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the meringues stand in the oven until dry, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

MERINGUE SWIRLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Combine egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Add vanilla bean seeds. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water, and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, about 3 minutes. Add salt and cream of tartar.
• Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue is mostly cooled, about 7 minutes. Beat in zest.
• Using a small paintbrush, paint 3 vertical stripes of food coloring inside a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (Ateco #805). Fill bag with meringue, and pipe 1 3/4-inch circular shapes (they don't need to be perfect rounds) 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. As you finish piping each shape, apply less pressure to pastry bag, and swirl the tip off in a circular motion.
• Bake meringues until crisp on the outside but still soft inside, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.