Aniseed Almond Meringues Recipes

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, gradually add the sugar and then continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the almond extract.
• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a star pastry tip and pipe 1-inch meringues onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven but leave the meringues inside with the door cracked open until the meringues are completely cooled and dry, about 2 hours more. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F.
• Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they hold soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup superfine sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat at high speed until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, 1 to 3 minutes. Fold in remaining 1/4 cup sugar gently but thoroughly.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Put a small dab of meringue on all 4 corners of each sheet, then turn paper over, pressing on corners to adhere parchment to baking sheets.
• Spoon meringue into pastry bag. You will be making 4 lattice cookies on each sheet, so work in 1 quadrant for each: Pipe 4 (4-inch-long) diagonal lines, about 5/8 inch apart, then pipe 4 (4-inch-long) parallel lines diagonally across original 4 lines, 5/8 inch apart, to form a lattice. Make 3 more lattice meringues on same baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle half of almonds over meringues. Pipe 4 more lattice meringues on second baking sheet in same manner, then sprinkle with remaining almonds.
• Bake meringues in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and pale golden, about 1 hour total.
• Cool meringues completely on sheets on racks, about 1 hour, then carefully peel from parchment.

MANDELMAKRONEN (ALMOND MERINGUES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, while continuing to beat at high speed. Combine ground almonds and cinnamon in a bowl and fold into the egg white mixture with a spatula. Add more ground almonds if mixture is too runny.
• Use 2 teaspoons to place little mounds of almond mixture 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and baked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

MERINGUE WITH DICED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Pour sugar into egg whites and whip. Put the mixture into a pastry bag and spread on waxed paper making a thin crown. Add on top a tablespoon of diced almonds and bake in a preheated 225 degree oven for 1 hour. Leave the meringues stand for a whole night at warm temperature at the entrance of the oven.
• To serve the meringue with chocolate mousse, put a meringue crown on a large round plate, using a pastry bag, spread a layer of chocolate mousse on top, then put another meringue crown and add on top another layer of chocolate mousse.
• Spread the pistachio creme anglaise all around the plate and serve.

ALMOND MERINGUE WITH SUMMER BERRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Scatter the almonds on a baking sheet and roast for 6-8 mins until golden. Very coarsely grind them in a small food processor, then set aside. Lower oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.
• Beat the egg whites in a scrupulously clean mixing bowl until stiff peaks have formed. Tip in half the sugar and beat again until stiff peaks are formed once more. Using a metal spoon, deftly fold in the remaining sugar a spoonful at a time, followed by most of the almonds (keep a small handful back). Tip the meringue onto the lined sheet and spread it out quite roughly to a 20cm circle. Scatter over the reserved almonds. Bake for 20 mins, reduce the temperature to 140C/120C fan/gas 1, then bake for a further 40 mins. Let meringue cool in the oven with the door ajar or on the side as you wish.
• While the meringue is baking, and if you wish to add the glamour of a raspberry ripple to the cream, make a few spoonfuls of purée by pressing 125g of the raspberries through a sieve.
• When nearing the moment for assembly, whip the cream until soft and cloudy. Lightly ripple through about half, or more, of the raspberry purée through the cream. You can serve the rest separately on the side. Place the meringue upon a handsome dish. Spoon the whipped cream liberally over the meringue. Slice the strawberries in a random manner. Heap the berries atop the cream, and offer any remaining fruit separately. Sift over the icing sugar. Take to the table and take a bow.

JAPONAISE (ALMOND MERINGUE) TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour 3 baking trays, or line them with baking paper, and mark each with an 8" circle.
• Place ground almonds, superfine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl, mix together, and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until they form soft peaks.
• Gradually add the extra superfine sugar, and continue beating until the mixture resembles uncooked meringue.
• Carefully fold the almond mixture, that was set aside, into the meringue.
• Spread meringue mixture on to each of the 3 trays inside the marked circles, or use a piping bag with a 1/2" nozzle to pipe a spiral within each circle.
• Place two of the trays on the centre shelf of the oven and the third on the shelf below.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until meringue is a pale, golden colour- if necessary move the bottom tray to the centre shelf and cook a further 5 minutes.
• Allow the trays to cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before loosening the meringues with a large spatula- do not remove meringues from trays until they have completely cooled.
• For the coffee butter cream- bring the sugar and water to the boil in a small pan, then reduce heat and simmer until the syrup thickens.
• Remove from heat and add the coffee essence, and stir briefly to combine.
• Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and, beating continuously with an electric mixer, add the coffee syrup.
• While continuing to beat, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is all amalgamated.
• Taste, and add more coffee essence if desired.
• Cool the butter cream in the refrigerator until it reaches spreading consistency.
• To assemble the torte, place one meringue layer on a serving platter and spread with some butter cream.
• Place second meringue on top, spread with butter cream, and repeat with the third meringue.
• Cover the top of torte, and the side, with remaining butter cream.
• Sprinkle toasted almond flakes all over, to decorate, then place in refrigerator until 10 to 15 minutes before serving time, preferably overnight.
• Dust top with powdered sugar to serve.

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Butter parchment. Beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in powdered sugar, almonds and lemon juice (meringue will deflate and will no longer be stiff).
• Drop meringue by level tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are pale golden around edges, about 25 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheets. Using metal spatula, carefully remove cookies from parchment. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container.)

ALMOND MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and lightly flour cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar and keep whipping until the egg whites can hold a stiff peak, this will take about 5 minutes. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the egg whites. Add the lemon zest and cinnamon to the rest of the meringue, and fold in the almonds until everything is evenly blended.
• Drop mounds by spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Top each cookie with a smaller dollop of the reserved meringue.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove cookies from the baking sheets to cool on wire racks.