Fruit Meringues Recipes

MERINGUE NESTS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. , Drop meringue into 8 mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-in. cups with the back of a spoon. Or place meringue mixture in pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe meringue onto parchment to form eight 3-in. cups., Bake at 275° for 45-50 minutes or until set and dry. Turn off oven and do not open door; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Fill with fruit. If desired, top with whipped cream and mint.

CHEWY FRUITCAKE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until golden and fragrant, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool slightly; chop.
• Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a mixer set over a pot of simmering water (do not let bottom touch water). Whisk until eggs are foamy and sugar dissolves (mixture should feel smooth and warm to the touch when rubbed between your fingers). Transfer to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add cream of tartar, and beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, 7 to 9 minutes.
• Combine hazelnuts, fruits, and candied citron and peel in a bowl. Fold maraschino syrup and all but 1/4 cup of fruit-nut mixture into meringue. Drop heaping tablespoons of meringue mixture onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Top with remaining fruit-nut mixture.
• Bake, rotating sheets and rack positions halfway through, until meringues have darkened slightly and are tacky on surfaces but no longer sticky, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn oven off (do not open door); let cool in oven until dry and crisp on outsides, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature, between sheets of parchment, up to 5 days. Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

FROZEN PASSION FRUIT MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Preheat oven to 275°F.
• Draw 3 (14- by 3-inch) rectangles, about 3/4 inch apart, on parchment. Turn paper over (rectangles will be visible) and put it on a lightly buttered large baking sheet.
• Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then increase speed to high and continue beating until whites hold stiff glossy peaks, about 4 minutes with a standing mixer or 8 to 10 minutes with a handheld. Transfer meringue to pastry bag fitted with 1/3-inch tip and fill in rectangles completely. Gently smooth tops, then bake in middle of oven until firm and very pale golden, 45 to 60 minutes. Slide meringue layers (on parchment) onto a large rack. Cool completely, then carefully peel off parchment.
• Make mousse while meringues bake:
• Melt butter with cornstarch, passion-fruit pulp, and 3/4 cup sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Whisk together whole egg and yolks in a large bowl until combined, then add butter mixture in a stream, whisking. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until thick enough to hold mark of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer curd immediately to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring occasionally, until cold.
• Beat cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold 2 cups whipped cream into curd gently but thoroughly to form a mousse (for filling and icing).
• Transfer 3/4 cup whipped cream to a small bowl and reserve, chilled, for cream layer. Fold 1/2 cup mousse into remaining whipped cream, then transfer to cleaned pastry bag fitted with 1/8-inch tip and reserve, chilled, for decorative icing.
• Assemble cake and freeze:
• Arrange 1 meringue layer, flat side down, on platter and spread evenly with 3/4 cup mousse. Cover with another meringue layer and spread evenly with reserved whipped cream. Cover with remaining meringue layer, flat side up, and spread remaining mousse evenly over top and sides of cake, smoothing with a cake spatula. Pipe icing decoratively on top of cake, then freeze, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours.
• About 1 hour before serving, put cake in refrigerator to soften slightly.

PASSION-FRUIT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Preheat oven to 200°F. and oil a baking sheet. On a sheet of parchment paper, using a 3- or 4-inch heart-shaped cutter as a guide, draw 6 hearts. Turn parchment over and put on baking sheet.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar and a pinch salt until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar and beat until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip and pipe evenly onto parchment hearts, filling them in. (Alternatively, divide meringue among parchment hearts, spreading with a small spatula to fill in.)
• Bake meringue layers in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until crisp and firm. (If weather is humid, cooking time may be longer.) Cool meringue layers completely on baking sheet in turned-off oven and carefully peel off parchment. Meringue layers may be kept, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container in a cool, dry place 1 week.
• Make filling:
• Halve 3 passion fruits and scoop out pulp (including seeds and juice) into a sieve set over a bowl. Force pulp through sieve, pressing hard on seeds, and discard seeds. In a bowl beat cream until it holds soft peaks and fold in passion-fruit juice and sugar until just combined.
• Make garnish:
• Halve remaining passion fruit and scoop out seeds, reserving them. Halve pomegranate. Bending back rinds, dislodge some seeds from membranes, reserving them, and reserve some juice.
• Arrange a meringue heart on each of 2 plates. Top hearts with whipped cream and garnish with some reserved passion-fruit and pomegranate seeds. Top each dessert with 1 more meringue heart. Desserts may be made 2 hours ahead and chilled, loosely covered. Bring desserts to room temperature before serving.
• Garnish desserts with more passion-fruit and pomegranate seeds and some reserved juice.