Merry Meringues Recipes

MERRY MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed 5 minutes or until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Drop tablespoonfuls of the egg white mixture onto baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle each meringue lightly with dry gelatin powders.
• Bake 50 minutes. Turn oven off. Prop oven door open slightly; let meringues stand in oven for 1 hour or until completely cooled.

SUMMER BERRY MERINGUES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼. Tip the egg whites and lemon juice into the clean bowl of a food mixer. Whisk until the whites double in volume and hold a peak when the whisk is drawn through them. Keep the whisk running and add the sugar a tbsp at a time, incorporating completely before adding the next. Whisk until all the sugar has been added and the whites are glossy.
• Place a square of baking parchment on a large baking sheet. Pencil nine circles, about 7cm each, onto the parchment. Spoon the meringue into a large piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe concentric rounds to fit each drawn circle, piping two or more rings around the edge to form a nest. Bake for 2 hrs until they are crisp and lift off the paper easily. Leave to cool completely.
• Whisk the crème fraîche until stiff, then fold in the yogurt. Set 2 strawberries and 9 raspberries aside and roughly chop the rest. Tip the chopped berries, mint and ginger into a bowl. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar and use a wooden spoon to mash to a rough purée. Gently fold the berries into the yogurt mix, adding icing sugar to taste.
• To assemble, cut the remaining strawberries into 9 slices and place a slice inside each meringue case. Generously share the rippled cream between the cases, then top with a raspberry and a mint sprig. Dust with a little icing sugar just before serving. ( Meringues keep in an airtight container for 2 days.)

HOLIDAY MERINGUES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil. In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Beat in peppermint extract.
• Fit large decorating bag with 1/2-inch star tip. With small brush, paint 3 to 4 evenly spaced stripes of food color on inside of bag from tip to upper edge. Carefully spoon all meringue into bag. Pipe 1 1/2-inch diameter stars about 1 1/2 inches apart onto paper-lined cookie sheets.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until crisp and dry, but not brown. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

MERINGUE KISSES FROM ENTERTAINING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil.
• Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla and continue beating. Add the sugar 1 teaspoon at a time, beating about 30 seconds between additions. When all the sugar has been added, beat an additional 6 minutes. Egg whites should be very stiff, glossy, and extremely smooth, but not dry.
• Spoon the mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip and pipe out "kisses," leaving 1-inch spaces. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meringues are dry to the touch and can be lifted from the foil. Cool completely before storing in a cool dry place.